Ever the Survivor
by krissyxo
Summary: A Walking Dead novelization; Kat Carsen knew Daryl Dixon before the outbreak that brought the dead back to life. The circumstances reunited them, and they formed a strong bond that is only growing. But is the end of the world really a place to fall in love? OC/Daryl Dixon - - - Disclaimer: I do not own the Walking Dead or any of it's members, much to my dismay.
1. Introduction

I've had some fanfics up on other sites but decided to post this on here. This is going to start from the beginning/before The Walking Dead and be an ongoing story, leading up to where ever the season may be, from my character Kat's side. I have some of the story written down and a lot of it in my head so it will be a slow but sure thing :)

For those that may be new to the world of FanFic, keep in mind that I will venture off on my own, have my own ideas and include things that didnt happen, so they will all be thrown into one. Some things that have happened may either happen differently in my story, or not happen at all. As for parts I take from the amazing show and graphic novel we've come to love, I may not include all the details since we can recap in our minds what happened on the screen, but some scenes I may include just for the sake of the story or because I change them a little. Also tid bits from The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct game may make an appearance.

It will also have elements of Resident Evil thrown in because, well, I love me some Resident Evil, and that's what most of my other fics were.

For starters, I will give a background of my character I created, Kat. She will have known Daryl from before the outbreak that started all this, so they form a bond that grows at the end of the world. She grew up with 5 brothers so was raised to be tough. She's smart and skilled which is why she quickly rose through the ranks at her job. She loves the outdoors. When she was younger her uncle would take her camping, hunting and fishing. Teaching her the ropes of living off the land. Which came in handy with her training when she was forced to survive two weeks on her own before the agency took her on. To show she was capable of keeping herself alive in the wilderness for a period of time if there was ever a need. She isn't close with her parents, nor are her brothers, who live with their aunt and uncle in Ellijay, Georgia. She works for the same branch of the government as Leon Kennedy, the DSO.

The Division of Security Operations was an anti-bioterrorism organization under the juristiction of the United States federal government. Her title was an assassin, for lack of a better word. When she wasn't on assignments with Leon, she would be given orders to take out Umbrella's staff or other important individuals in terrorist groups that had plans on Global, Viral threats.

When they need things taken care of quickly and quietly, she's who they call. She's good at getting in and out of places unnoticed and getting what she's sent for, done, by any means. She was Leon Kennedy's partner during the time of the Las Plagas virus and the viruses that came after, so she is familiar with the other characters from the RE world as well.

Her twin brother Scotty works with the BSAA so he is close with Chris, and they will in time make an appearance. The beginning of this will be set after the CGI Movie Resident Evil: Damnation for those that are familiar with it, and RE6 the game, for the most part, didn't happen. This outbreak will basically take the place of that. But may eventually include characters from there as well.

In this story, the world remained obvlivious to what happened each time. It was kept more underwraps and out of the public eye as much as possible than what the games hinted at. She also knows Rick from working with him very briefly when she and Leon were sent to Kings County, Georgia to follow up on information they were privy too. Like I said, it will start out before this outbreak, and ease into it. So it may seem like a Resident Evil FanFic in the first chapter or so, but don't worry. Daryl and the Walking Dead world are coming ;)


	2. Chapter 1: Old Friends

**Old Friends**

* * *

**Months before the Outbreak**

The private plane holding Special Agents Leon S. Kennedy and Kat Carsen had landed in Washington D.C roughly an hour ago. They had just returned from an assignment in Europe where a virus was released, turning the place into what was later called a 'terrorist warzone' until the US got it under control. They had successfully completed their mission, though not without some minor complications, what with being held hostage temporarily and all...

After being debriefed before they were even allowed to leave the plane, they were making their way to a black SUV that would take them back to their homes.

"Man, I don't know about you but when I get home, I'm taking a hot bubble bath and sleeping for a week." Kat said to Leon as she stretched and yawned.

"You and me both," Leon replied with a hand on his shoulder while rolling it, hearing a faint popping sound.

"Still store?" She asked giving a nod towards his arm. "You hit it pretty hard."

"Yeah, I'm fine. It wasn't dislocated or anything I think, just bruised really bad. It's going to hurt like hell in the morning. I can tell" Leon opened the back door and stood aside to let Kat in first.

___Always a gentleman._ Kat thought, as she flashed him a quick closed mouth smile before pulling herself across the backseat. Leon and another agent filed into the back after her. Another security agent hopping in the passenger seat. The ride to the apartment building where the agents resided was a quiet one, other than Leon asking to stop and get a burger because they were both starving.

After exiting the vehicle with a McDonald's sack in one hand, his book bag of essentials in the other, and Kat carrying two drinks and her bag behind him, Leon walked up the stairs to the front door of his apartment. They decided they would have a quick dinner at his place together before she went to hers, which was just next door.

After opening the door, Leon walked to his small dining room table that was next to his kitchen on the left, and sat the sack down while getting their meals out. Kat followed him after kicking the door shut behind her. Setting the drinks down on the table next to Leon, she did a quick once over of her surroundings. She walked a few steps to an end table next to his gray loveseat.

"Looks the same as last time," She said, running her hand over the lamp shade, gathering up all the dust on her fingers. Leon glanced behind him and gave her a smirk, knowing what was coming next. "You really should hire a maid or something, Kennedy." She smiled at him, showing him her dusty fingers.

"Or something. Come over here and eat. I think my stomach is eating itself." Leon smiled when he sat down as she made her way over to him, wiping her hands on her pants. He enjoyed spending time with Kat when he could. They had grown really close over the years working with eachother. He was a bit iffy about their partnership at first, with her only just turning 20 when she was brought on. Those thoughts were quickly put to rest when she proved on more than one occasion that she was a valuable member of the government group he was a main member of, and an even more valuable partner. 'Glad you're on my side' He had said to her after she saved his ass on one of their first missions together.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

**Three Years Earlier**

_Leon and Kat were inside a dimly lit, underground facility serving as a hideout for several remaining groups of people that were playing around with the T-Virus, hidden deep in the Amazon. Leon was walking around inside the warehouse, weaving in and out of the different rows of containers, boxes and machinery. Kat was on the landing above him, getting a better view of their surroundings and where they were heading. He never even heard the man sneaking up behind him. But Kat saw him. There was little she didn't ever see. She didn't shout out to her partner incase there were others nearby. The last thing they needed was a firefight in a building they didn't know the way around yet. She quickly and quietly made her way across the landing so she was standing above the man behind Leon, who must've been some form of security for the place. Just as the man was about to raise his knife and pludge it deep into her partner's throat, Kat pulled herself over the railing and dropped down. With her feet landing on the man's shoulder's, the force of her weight from the height she'd dropped, pushed him straight to the ground. She raised her right arm back, which she wore a leather bracer on that went halfway up her forearm. Inside was a retractable blade that she unsheathed as she drove it into the man's skull. Leon quickly turned around with his gun pointed at her, but lowered it when he saw who it was. She gave him a quick half-smile as she brought her arm back and sheathed the blade again. He offered her his hand to help her up._

_"Almost got yourself killed Kennedy, how about a thank you?" She playfully bumped into his shoulder as she passed him._

_Leon looked down at the man laying on the floor, now with a pool of blood around his head and a knife still gripped in his hand. He turned around and followed after her. "Glad you're on my side..." He'd said, shaking his head with a smile._

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

"Leon...Helloooo" Kat waved her hand in front of his face once. "Earth to Leon?"

"Sorry," Leon shook his head as he grabbed the box his sandwich was in.

"You need sleep, dude. Like, bad." Kat smiled. She grabbed the drink in front of her and put the straw in her mouth. "Ew, that's yours." She made a face and pushed the drink to him while grabbing the other cup. Leon gave her a funny look. "I always see you drinking Coke."

"Yeah, from a can. I don't like fountain Coke. Tastes funny." She said, sipping her Root Beer instead. Leon shook his head and began eating his food.

"So you still going to Georgia to see your family next week?" He said after he'd finished chewing, for the most part.

"Yep. I've had to put them off the last two times so I told the DSO to suck it. I mean, come on, we were both on furlough when they pulled us into a car and told us where we were going, what the hell? Usually we get a little bit of notice."

"Well I guess we're the only ones they thought capable of handling it."

The rest of their lunch was spent chatting like they normally did. Leon was nervous around her when they were first thrown together 3 years ago. They quickly learned they had a lot in common and got along great despite the 13 year age difference. He was attracted to her at first, but they both, unknowingly to the other, decided not to pursue anything. With them working together and not wanting to make things awkward, they formed more of a sibling like bond with eachother. And though Leon would probably never admit it, it would've bothered him a little deep down if something ever did develop between them. He felt strange thinking of the fact he was going through puberty when she was born...Just strange.

Leon walked her outside and the few seconds to her front door of her apartment next to his. She gave him a quick hug as she dug her keys out of her pocket. With goodbyes and promises of later texts they parted ways. Kat threw her bags in her room and went straight for the bathroom to start the hot water in her tub.

* * *

___Hope you liked this first chapter guys. This may seem like a Resident Evil Fic but I promise it's not, Daryl's in the next chapter ;P This is just serving as an introduction to the main character this story will mostly be about._  
___xo_


	3. Chapter 2: Family Ties

Yeah, the Robertson's, from Duck Dynasty. I went there XD Check out the show if you haven't, it's hilarious! I know they're in Louisiana but for the sake of the story...they live in Ellijay, Georgia, okay? :)

*I don't own anything other than the characters I created*

**Family Ties**

* * *

Kat's plane had finally touched down in Dalton, Georgia's small airport after stopping in Atlanta, and getting onto a smaller plane. She was walking with her bags outside when she heard a car horn sounding a few times. She looked up with a smile as she saw her cousin Jase's new black pickup truck and him waving his hand wildly out the window. As she got closer he got out of the truck with a grin on his face.

"There's ma girl!" Jase was walking towards her with his arms spread wide. Kat picked up her pace and wrapped her arms around her cousin. As if 5 brothers wasn't already enough, Jase was the older brother she never had.

"I can't believe you actually kept your mouth shut about me getting an earlier flight." She laughed. Kat wasn't expected to be in Georgia until the next week, but the DSO had informed her a few days prior that she and Leon would be needed for an assignment during the week of her trip to Ellijay to see her family. So she had decided to surprise her three youngest brothers and her aunt and uncle.

"The boys are going to be so excited. Mom says they've been bouncing off the walls for two weeks." Jase said as he took her bags from her and put them in the back of his truck.

"Oh gosh, I know. They sounded so excited when I talked to them on the phone last week." Kat smiled as she pulled herself into his truck. Her 3 youngest brothers, Blake who is 9, Kaleb, 11, and Sam who is 13, moved to the Robertson's in Ellijay, Georgia when their mother decided they were moving from New York to North Carolina for her boyfriend, the boys' father's job 4 years ago. The boys refused saying they wanted to go live with Kat and her twin brother Scotty who both had moved to Washington D.C for their jobs. They didn't want to be around their father anymore and were already brokenhearted when their older siblings left the house. They had moved 3 times already in their lives and didn't want to have to pack up and start over again with no family anywhere around. They couldn't take the yelling anymore from their father either. The only thing he had been good at their whole lives was him yelling and picking fights with their mom over the stupidest things. It was always their mother or one of the three older siblings taking them to their practices and games or school functions. He never came to anything. Kat wondered if he even wanted the kids half the time, it sure seemed like he didn't. Yet their mother stayed with him, she said she loved him, even though Kat couldn't see why. In the years they were together, not once had Kat ever heard him say "I love you". He never hit her as far as any of them knew. But he had a temper and a way with words that would always make her feel worthless. She didn't even argue with the boys when they refused. She loved her children and didn't want them growing up in that environment, even though she would miss them terribly. She could see in the tears in their eyes that they had had enough. Maybe being around their older siblings would do them good. The eldest of the Carsen kids, Kat, Scotty and Dylan never took any shit. On more than one occasion they had all told their mother's boyfriend where to shove it. Joe wasn't _their_ father, and they pointed that out whenever he would try telling them what to do. He and Scotty had actually gotten into a fight once when Joe had gone to smack Sam when he had mouthed back to him one day, because he'd heard them all do it before. Scotty threw him up against the wall and said if he ever saw him lay a hand on one of his little brothers or their mother he would slit his throat, and he knew his other siblings would back him up. Kat, Scotty and Dylan's real dad disappeared from their lives a few years after their mother divorced him to be with Joe around when they were in their early teens. He turned bitter because of it and took it out on the kids, which made them grow to hate him. He only fueled it more when he filed to have them emancipated when they were all over 18, so he wouldn't have to keep paying their mother child support. "If you don't want to legally be my father anymore, fine. You haven't fucking done it for years anyway. Don't you ever contact me again." Kat had said to him when they all left the courthouse that day, after he had said a quick "fuck you" aimed at all of them. Although it was after Dylan had called him a piece of shit. How a father could be so heartless to his own children, she would never understand.

The hour long drive from Dalton to Ellijay passed quickly talking and joking around with Jase the whole way. Jase told her how things were going at the store that the family owned and operated. They sold camping, hunting and fishing supplies there for most of Jase's life, and the other Robertson boys made the duck calls they were so well known for.

"We're getting a lot more done with Dylan there now. He's a hard worker. " Jase said as he finally turned down the long road that led to his mom's house. They owned acres and acres of private property, most of it that they had left untouched. Kat had her own small home on the land that she rented and loved coming to visit. Being out in the country, so close to nature and away from most of the city life was what she looked forward to the most here. That, and of course seeing her family and Miss Kay's cooking.

"Wait, Dylan's here? Since when?" Kat looked at him.

"Uh, since a couple days ago. You didn't know?"

"No! Little fucker never told me." Kat looked straight ahead. Dylan kept to himself a lot, only checking in with everybody and catching up every few weeks, so it didn't really surprise her that he hadn't said anything about moving from Manhattan to Georgia. He was more of a loner anyway. But she thought he would at least have given her a little head's up.

"Maybe he was going to surprise you too?" Jase said, but made it sound like more of a question.

Kat glanced at Jase and raised her eyebrows. Dylan was never one for surprises. She sat up straighter as the house came into view. And speak of the devil, she could see Dylan sitting on the porch in one of the chairs, smoking a cigarette. A smile came across his face when he saw her in the truck with Jase. He knew she was supposed to come visit, but not until the next week, so was glad to see her in the passenger seat. He got up and stretched as Jase pulled the pickup off to the side of the driveway. Kat hopped out of the car and walked around the back of the truck to grab one of her bags as Jase grabbed the other. Despite being a little irritated that Dylan hadn't mentioned anything to her, she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she turned around and saw her younger brother standing behind her.

"Well look who's here. Aunt Kay said you weren't gonna be here until next week." Dylan pulled his sister, who was 2 years older than him, in for a tight hug, lifting her off the ground.

"Yeah, and you weren't gonna be here at all. Nice of you to tell me." Kat said and playfully punched his shoulder as he set her down.

"I did, idiot. You never replied to my text."

"I never got one?" Kat gave him a confused look.

"Damn piece of shit phone. Maybe it's the reception out here. But yeah, I sent you one letting you know. I lost my job so I wouldn't have been able to keep my apartment for much longer. My lease was about up anyway. You never replied so I figured you were busy with work." Dylan said, hanging his arm loosely around her shoulders as they turned and walked towards the house with Jase coming up beside him. Kat wasn't allowed to talk much about her job, but her family knew as much as they could. She gave them information on a need-to-know-only basis. They knew she worked closely with government security and was sent away on investigations every so often, but that was the extent of information they were given. Kat just nodded as they neared the front door.

Jase opened the door and let the siblings follow him in. Kay was in the kitchen cooking dinner and Phil was sitting in his recliner watching TV while the 3 boys were sitting on the couch. Blake looked behind him towards the front door a few seconds after he heard it open, getting ready to say hey to Jase, and stood up on the couch when he saw his big sister.

"Kat!" He yelled and jumped over the back of the couch, causing Phil, Kaleb, Sam and Kay all to look in the direction he took off in. Kat kneeled down and spread her arms wide while bracing herself for the oncoming 9 year old, that nearly tackled her to the ground. Sam and Kaleb were making their way over to her, much more calmly than the youngest Carsen, but still so happy to see her. The last time she had seen them was 4 months earlier. Money wasn't a problem for her at all so she visited as often as she could when she wasn't busy, but the DSO had been working her more often lately, making her a bit worried. So they kept in touch with phone calls and the internet more, same as with their mother and other brother Scotty. Kat was closest with her younger brothers since she was the one that took on the responsibility as 'mom' and raised them for the most part when they were younger. Not that their real mom wasn't around, she was just so busy with work most of the time, so Kat handled what she could to help out. Not that she ever complained, she adored her little brothers like they were her own children. With all the things they had to deal with growing up, all of the siblings shared a very close bond with each other.

After hugs, kisses and hello's were handed out, Kay came out of the kitchen with an apron on and a big smile.

"I thought you weren't supposed to be here until next week honey?" Kay said, taking her flour covered apron off and laying it on the counter.

"I got an earlier flight since I'll need to work next week. Jase knew a few days ago, so he came and got me at the airport today."

"Well give Aunt Kay a hug darlin'. I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!" Kay said as she came to wrap her arms around her much smaller niece. "Come help me finish up supper so we can get some good food in you." Kay said into Kat's hair.

"Of course. I've been dying for your cooking for months!"

"Well you can thank your Uncle Phil for the ducks we're having. Kaleb even got one of them when Phil took him out huntin with him this mornin." Kay said as they walked into the kitchen together.

"Boy's good with a gun. Hell, all of them are. Must run in the family." Phil said standing next to the boys.

Kat smiled as she grabbed a smaller apron off a hook on the pantry door that Kay kept there for her, and tied it around her waist.

"Honey, would you get those tomatoes out of the water and cut them up, please. We got those out of the garden earlier. I'm gonna put some of them in a salad tonight, but we're making some spaghetti sauce this week you can take home with ya. We've got so many this year I don't know what we're gonna do with all of em." Kay said to her while they continued making their supper.

The two women talked and talked in the kitchen while preparing their meal. Sharing what Kat could about work and how Leon was doing. Aunt Kay had met him a couple times and just adored the man. Kat never talked as much as she did when she was around Kay. That woman had the gift of gab, and Kat loved it.

* * *

_Ok, I lied. Sorry Daryl wasn't in this chapter. Had to build it up a liiiittle bit more. He will be in the next one for sure tho, promise.  
__xo_


	4. Chapter 3: Blue Eyes and Double Shots

**Blue Eyes and Double Shots**

* * *

After dinner the night before, Kat had Dylan drive her to her house on the Robertson's property, after promising the boys she would take them all to a movie the next day then out for lunch.

Kat rolled over in her bed, hearing her phone going off yet again. _Maybe I shouldv'e waited until today to tell them I was here instead of last night. _She loved her two friends from Ellijay, Audrey and Sarah, but she hadn't got to see them the last time she was in town so they were dying to catch up. They had both wanted to go out to lunch with her, but she politely declined, telling them she was taking her brothers out. So they were playing phone tag, working out plans for later that night. They wanted to take her to the new bar in town that opened the weekend before.

Kat hit the ignore button under Audrey's picture, looking at the time. It was 9:02am. She would sleep for another hour before she got up and took a shower to get ready for the day. She layed her head back down and closed her eyes for a few seconds. Then her phone went off again, letting her know she had a new text.

"Ughh." Kat tapped the screen on her Droid to view it so that the reminder wouldn't keep going off, then laid back down.

A few minutes later it went off again, with a message from Sarah.

_Well I guess sleeping in isn't happening today._ She thought as she threw the covers off herself and grabbed the phone off the bedside table. She opened Audrey's message, replying to hers then doing the same to Sarah's.

Kat walked into the bathroom and took out two towels and set them by the shower while leaning in to turn it on. The girls texted a couple more times before agreeing that they would meet at their favorite seafood restaurant, Jolly Roger, that evening before they went to the bar.

After Kat had taken a long, hot shower to kill some extra time, she stepped out wrapping the towel around her body while drying her hair with the other. She looked at her phone while getting her blow dryer out from one of the drawers by the sink. She had two new messages and luckily they weren't from Audrey or Sarah this time. They were, however. from her twin brother Scotty and there was a quick one from Leon. She opened Scotty's first.

'Tell the boys I said hey, dylan texted me last night saying you got there early. Give kay a kiss for me. Love ya'

'Love u too. Still in europe?' Kat replied. Pulling the brush through her dark brown, layered hair, save for the dark, vibrant red ombre she had halfway up the length, which was a few inches past the top of her shoulders.

'Yeah. We were supposed to pull out yesterday but they want us here keeping an eye on another group theyre trying to get more info on. Said we'll be back by the end of the week cuz theyre sending in another team' Scotty replied after a few minutes.

'Ok. Be safe' Kat sat her phone down, after replying to Leon's text. Saying she had gotten there fine and Kay wanted to know when she would see him again.

'Tell her, maybe next time they come to visit us haha' He'd replied.

Kat blow dried her hair, then put on a little of her blush and lined her eyes with her dark eyeliner before calling Kay's house to let them know she was going to head over after she got dressed. Phil had answered the phone so he passed on the message to the boys.

Kat pulled on her black Converse shoes while she walked out of her house with a white t-shirt on and a pair of gray skinny jeans. It was atleast 60 degrees outside in Ellijay already and it wasn't even noon yet, so she had slid a black hair tie on her wrist to put her hair up later if she needed to. It was March, but it was turning out to be a warmer one instead of cold, like the year before. She walked over to her dark red 2010 Dodge Avenger and unlocked the driver's side door. She'd bought this car, brand new, to keep here on her last visit. Blake was excited when she had told him over the phone on the way back to Kay's. The only selling point he had heard was that it was called an "Avenger", and he loved the comic books.

She drove the couple minutes from her house to Kay's on the Robertson's property to see a shirtless Dylan laying on the hammock in the front yard. She parked her car and they exchanged "Hey's" before she made her way inside.

She could hear Blake and Kaleb in the back room playing Xbox and see Sam sitting on the couch with Phil.

"Where's Kay?" Kat said as she walked over, running her hand through Sam's short blond hair.

"She ran to the grocery store, she'll be back after while." Phil said, looking up at his niece before turning back to the television.

She nodded as she walked to the game room at the end of the hallway. She looked inside at Blake and Kaleb playing what had to have been Call of Duty. She knocked twice on the door frame and both boys looked behind them at her quickly before returning to their game.

"You boys ready? The movie starts in about 45 minutes, it will take a little while to get there."

"Yeah, just a minute." Kaleb said without turning around.

"Hurry up," Kat said as she smiled while turning back to the living room. She took a seat next to Sam on the couch. He leaned over and put his head on her shoulder, so she tilted her head to rest it on his.

After several minutes, the two youngest Carsen's came out of the back room, ready to leave. Kat told Phil they would be back later on this afternoon and to tell Kay she would feed them lunch so not to worry about making anything. The 4 of them walked on to the front porch and towards Kat's car.

"Dylan, put your shirt on and let's go!" She shouted in her brother's direction, who still hadn't moved from the hammock. He lazily swung his legs over the side while pulling his t-shirt on and started for the car.

The ride to the movie theatre in East Ellijay was quiet other than the 5 siblings singing a few Motley Crue and AC/DC songs on the way there. Except for the occasional giggle, because Dylan liked to change or make his own lyrics up to make people laugh.

After they had paid for tickets and got a couple concession buckets of popcorn and drinks, they made their way to their seats.

* * *

"Did you see when that saw almost chopped his balls off! Ow!" Kaleb was saying as they made their way back to Kat's car.

"Kaleb..." Kat said as she rolled her eyes.

"Come on Kat, that even made you cringe for a minute." Dylan elbowed her with a smile while cupping himself through his pants.

"Stop it...It was a really good remake though, I have to say." Kat said unlocking her car with the small remote. They had went to see the new version of The Crazies.

"So where do you guys want to have lunch?" Kat said as they all piled in the car and fastened their seatbelts. There was a chorus of "Taco Bell's" from the younger boys and an "I don't care" from Dylan.

"Taco Bell? You guys don't want to like, go in somewhere and have a nice, sit-down meal?"

"We can sit down in Taco Bell and eat..." Kaleb looked at her.

"Well I meant...Nevermind, Taco Bell it is." She knew there was no point in arguing with them. They were as relentless as she was when their minds were made up.

After they all had lunch and gotten back to the Robertson's house, they all hung out outside for a couple hours. The boys played with Kay's dogs while Kat put her hair up and went to help her pull weeds in the new garden. About 15 minutes later Kat's phone started ringing. She took it out of her pocket and saw Audrey's name.

"Hey girl, what's up?" Kat answered her phone after she took the gloves off her hands.

"Hey! We're meeting at Jolly Roger in two hours. I have to pick up Sarah cause her car's in the shop. We'll probably be there before you so we'll meet you there." Audrey's voice sounded over the phone.

"Alright, I'll leave here in a few so I can go get ready then. See you soon." They said their goodbyes and Kat hung up, putting her phone in her pocket.

"Go on, dear. I can finish up here. Have some fun tonight." Kay said smiling up to her. Kat smiled and kissed her Aunt on the cheek before walking towards the boys to tell them she'd see them sometime tomorrow. Dylan was sitting on the picnic table top, with his feet on the bench, cleaning one of the .22LR's Phil had around the property that they often used to shoot small game. He put his favorite gray Remington 597 .22LR in his lap when he saw her walking towards him.

"You wanna come out with me and the girls tonight? Audrey's gonna be there. You know she thinks you're hot." Kat smiled and raised her eyebrows at him while making her voice sound a little higher when she said the last word. Dylan smiled at her.

"Nah. Willie wants me to go to the store later to help restock after they close up."

"Well Saturday you're coming with us when we go out. We'll get drunk together before I leave Sunday." She said, pointing at him while she walked backwards towards her car. Dylan just laughed and shook his head, going back to his gun.

"Okay. Call me if you need a ride!"

"It's Thursday. I don't think I'm gonna drink that much!" She yelled as she got in her car.

Once inside her house, Kat stripped her gray skinny jeans and t-shirt off since they had dirt on them from the garden, and walked to her bathroom to turn on the hot water in the sink. She walked back to her bedroom and opened up her bag to pick out what she would wear to the bar that night. She never really unpacked when she came to visit since she usually only stayed for a few days. She pulled out a black Jack Daniels tank top and her favorite pair of skinny jeans that were the same red as the ends of her hair and car. She threw them on the bed and went back to the bathroom to wash her face and arms so she could then redo her makeup for the night. After she was done and dressed, she slipped on her black leather boots that came a few inches above her ankles, that were open more on top so she could push her jeans in them. They had straps around the front and silver buckles on the side, with a slight heel. Bringing her height to a whopping 5'2" instead of her normal 5 feet tall. She was always teased about how short she was. But what she lacked in height she sure as hell made up for in toughness and attitude.

It was 5:30pm by the time she decided to leave, it would take about 20 minutes to get to the Jolly Roger restaurant, and the girls were all supposed to meet there at 6. It wouldn't take long for Audrey and Sarah to get there since they lived in town. She grabbed her black hoodie incase in got cold as night set in and sent Audrey a text letting her know she was on her way before she put her phone in her purse and got in the car. She threw her hoodie in the passenger's seat.

She was almost at the restaurant when she saw the cars in front of her slowing down and going around two cars that were pulled off to the side of the road. She saw a man in a sleeveless shirt, a plain black leather vest and a buzz cut yelling at a younger man in a brown flannel who was obviously changing the other guy's flat tire. _You'd think he would be a little more appreciative._ Kat thought as she drove by. She saw the younger guy just shaking his head at the older man.

She could see Audrey's car in the parking lot so she knew the girls were already at the restaurant. She locked her car and headed inside. She said hello to the hostess and told her her friends already had a seat. They always sat in the same booth every time. She could see the back of Audrey's head and Sarah's smiling face as she walked up. Sarah glanced up from her conversation with Audrey and saw Kat walking towards them.

"Oh my God!" Sarah got up and gave Kat a hug, who was passed right on to Audrey for another.

"We missed you so much!" Audrey said as she released her. The girls sat back down and started talking and catching up. They talked about work and men. How Sarah and her boyfriend of a year had broken up when she caught him cheating.

"I knew that boy was trouble," Audrey said. "I'm not getting into anything serious again for awhile. I'm just going to enjoy the single life." She smiled as she took the lemon slice off the rim of her glass and sucked on it.

"Yeah, I don't want to jump into anything again too soon." Sarah said while she picked up an onion ring. "How about you Kat? You still haven't got a new beau?"

"Oh, I have a boyfriend. He runs me all over the world every few weeks." Kat raised her eyebrows as she played with her straw.

"Oh God, that damn job stresses you out, girl. You just need to get laid. You haven't had a boyfriend in almost 3 years now because you're always all over the place." Audrey said. Making it sound like the worst thing in the world. And oh, how Kat wishes it was the office job she told them she had working for the government. Document keeper, that had to travel to keep up on security issues. They didn't know the half of it. "Let's find a hottie at the bar tonight and take him home." She handed her friend an onion ring.

"I'm not gonna fuck some random guy I meet at a bar. I need to be in a relationship with someone for that. I've never even had a one night stand." Kat took the onion ring from her friend.

"Well hey, if he's any good get his number, it doesn't have to be a one time thing." Audrey shrugged.

"Audrey, she isn't you!" Sarah defended her friend. Audrey was always trying to pick up men when they went out. She was very pretty so it wasn't that hard. And she could play the games just as good as the guys.

"Besides, I don't need a man. My vibrator works just fine back at my apartment." Kat smiled as she took a bite. Audrey and Sarah started laughing.

"I hear that." Sarah said, nodding her head. Bringing on another round of laughs.

"So tell me about this new bar." Kat said after they placed their orders for their main meals.

"It opened up last weekend. It's really nice. It's pretty big on the inside. Big bar, some machine games, a couple pool tables, some dart boards. Jukebox in the back. And an area for a live band. They've got some stools up at the bar, but they've got some tables and booths in there too. I think it's the nicest place in town. And the food there is good too." Sarah said.

"And their daquiri's, best I've had anywhere." Audrey chimed in, and she'd been to her share of bars. She moved to Ellijay from Philidelphia, where she is originally from.

"Nice. Sounds like an awesome step up from where we usually go." Kat said.

"Yeah, it really is. The Pour House, you can only go to to pretty much drink and order some crappy food. And this place doesn't look like a trashy bar inside either. It's pretty cool."

"So I'm guessing our bar-top dancing would probably be frowned upon at this establishment?" Kat asked with a smirk causing the girls to laugh.

"Oh hell, I don't think the male bartenders would mind." Audrey winked.

The girls laughed and talked until their food came. Kat loved having these girls nights with them. She didn't have many close friends in DC which is why she came back to visit whenever she could. The only person she was honestly really close with there, was Leon.

The girls made it out to their cars with Kat saying she would follow Audrey. They were already in town so it hadn't taken long to get there. Another reason Audrey loved the place already, it was a two block walk from her house. _Go figure._ She shook her head while she got out of her car, parked next to Audrey.

"You didn't mention it was so close to your house." Kat said as they walked to the front entrance.

"Oh I forgot, isn't it great?! I just walked here last weekend and Sarah met me here. I never have to worry about being drunk and needing a ride home now." She laughed.

"Geez. Well it's still a week night, let's wait til Saturday to go hard on the paint. I don't feel like having to drag your ass to your house." Kat smiled as she opened the door.

She could hear the music before they walked inside. It sounded like a pretty decent rock band was playing that night. She took a quick look around before they made their way over to a booth. She wasn't paying attention to most of the patrons, so she was oblivious to the fact that most of the men in the room had turned to take in the 3 pretty girls that had just entered. So she certainly didn't notice a beautiful pair of blue eyes paying more attention to her than the rest of them.

As soon as they sat down, a man in a black button down shirt and apron around his waist came and asked what they would like right away.

"3 Budlight's." Audrey said.

"They sure are on it for as busy as they are." Kat said as the man walked back to the bar.

"This isn't as bad as it was last weekend. But it's 8 o'clock. Give it another hour and people will start clearing out." Sarah said, looking at the different mixed drinks on the menu sitting on the table.

Now that she was sitting down, Kat was able to look around the place more. It was very cozy inside. Dark walls, dark furniture and the lights weren't very bright. It was dark over by the area the band was playing, except for the spotlights shining on the stage, and the different lights that moved around the small dance floor in front of the band. The area right at the bar was packed, she couldn't see any open barstools at the moment. She looked behind her to see the back of the place, where the big game room obviously was. It was a lot brighter back there. She could see two nice pool tables in the middle of the floor with a Jukebox on the back wall, some arcade games to the left and an open area on the right where she assumed the dart boards were, but her view was blocked by the wall. Looking towards the pool table, she could see several men playing, and among them was the older man with a buzzcut who was yelling at the man changing his tire earlier. If she would've looked at the bar a few seconds before, she would've caught the man in the brown flannel staring at her, but once he had noticed her checking the place out, he turned around.

Kat was finishing up her 3rd beer and getting ready to order a mixed drink when she decided to get up to go to the bathroom almost 2 hours later. The bathrooms where in the back room with the games, so she caught the attention of all the men that were back there.

"Hey Red, how bout you come be my lucky charm for this next game, huh sweetheart?" The man with the buzzcut said to her with a big grin on his face.

"Maybe next time." Kat smiled as she walked into the bathroom. The man just laughed and elbowed his buddy as they went back to the game. Usually the women just ignored him or told him to fuck off at the bar he usually went to. If they weren't the local sluts anyway. Maybe they would start coming here more.

The younger man at the bar had seen the exchange between the two, but couldn't hear what was said over the music. He went back to his new beer. He'd been stealing glances at her since she got here.

Kat came out of the bathroom a few minutes later and the man sitting at the bar didn't look over at her. But she could see him. She could tell from the side of his face and his shirt that he was the one helping the guy that tried hitting on her. As she walked out of the game room he looked at her and saw her staring at him. She gave him a quick smile and he turned back to his beer.

_I think I'll talk to him...I gotta go up there to get my drink anyway._ Kat started walking to the bar. He could see her walking his way out of the corner of his eye. _Oh great. Don't ask why I've been looking at ya the whole time. One of her friends musta caught me. _He thought. She walked up to the bar and the man sitting in the barstool next to Tire Boy gave her a smile and scooted over so she could get through. Kat leaned against the counter next to him making him look up at her from his beer.

"Was that you I saw you on the side of the road earlier changing that guy's tire?" Kat looked behind her towards the pool tables before looking back at the man in front of her.

Daryl looked to where she glanced at his brother before looking back at her face.

"Yeah, that was me." He said, taking in her eyes. The black and gray eyeshadow she had on, along with black eyeliner made her eyes pop against the dull colors. They weren't quite blue, but not quite green. Kind of a perfect mix of the two colors that kept you guessing what they actually were. And had a darker ring around the iris.

"He didn't seem very happy that you were helping him." Kat smiled at him. He was almost too distracted by her that he didn't hear what she said.

"Uh, yeah. Somehow, it was my fault that he blew his tire out." He said.

"Can I get you something to drink, miss?" The bartender leaned towards her so he could hear over the music.

"Yeah, Jack and Coke, please." She smiled at the bartender before turning back to the blue eyed man.

"Is he a friend of yours or something?" She asked.

"Older brother."

"Ahh." Kat looked back at the man's brother at the pool table who was laughing at something one of his buddies said. The man at the bar took the chance to take a quick look down her. She was a tiny thing. But he liked her clothes. He didn't think he'd seen anyone around here wearing red jeans and had hair like hers. "If any of my brothers were yelling at me like that I woulda kicked their ass."

Daryl smirked. "You ain't that big."

"Hey!" Kat turned to look at him and brought her eyebrows together, pretending to be mad, despite the smile on her face. "I may be small but I pack one hell of a punch. Had to learn to make up for it somehow."

Daryl's smirk turned into a smile.

"You been here before?" He asked, taking a swig of his beer.

"No, first time. I'm here with two of my friends." Kat said as she pointed to the table she had been sitting at, not knowing he knew exactly where she had been the last 2 hours. "Well, there's one of them anyway...Where is..." Kat stopped as she looked around. "Ahh. There she is. Looks like someone's getting lucky tonight." Kat spotted Audrey all over a young guy by where the band was playing.

Daryl looked over to where she was looking. He had seen her friend before, but didn't know her name. She had been to Jake's Bar a couple times, the bar him and his brother frequented since it was closer to where they both lived.

"Here you are, miss" The bartender set her drink down in front of her.

"How much?" Kat asked the guy as she took a sip of her drink.

"Ah, for a beautiful girl, this one's on the house." The guy winked at her.

"Thanks." Kat smiled. Daryl shot a look at the young man behind the bar before he walked away, then looked back to the woman in front of him. She was gorgeous, so he couldn't really blame the guy.

"Hey bitch!" Kat heard Audrey yell, making her way towards them with the young guy in tow. "I'm leaving. Sarah's gonna take my car since she doesn't have hers. I'll talk to you tomorrow." She said when she reached them, before pulling Kat in for a hug. The band had just finished playing so the music had died down at this point.

"Alright, text me."

"This is Brendan." Audrey pointed to the guy next to her, who smiled.

"Hey," Kat smiled with a short wave of her hand, she recognized the guy now that he was up close, Audrey had "seen" him before a few times. But that was the end of the conversation as Audrey led them away.

"Use protection!" Kat yelled before they walked out the door, causing several people to look at her. Kat just laughed and turned back to Daryl who was smirking again at what she had just yelled across the bar, not caring who was looking at her.

"I'm gonna go finish this with Sarah before I leave, I feel kinda bad Audrey just ditched her for a piece of ass." Kat giggled. Her 3 beers hitting her a little harder.

"She go off like that a lot?" He asked.

"Eh, sometimes. I know that kid though, so I'm not too worried about it tonight." Kat said as she looked back towards Sarah, who smiled. Daryl looked straight ahead again, taking another drink of his beer.

"Well, maybe I'll see you around." Kat smiled again as she stood up straight from leaning on the bar. Daryl nodded and gave her a half smile before she started walking back to her booth.

Daryl turned around and picked up his beer, bringing it to his lips. He sat there for a few minutes to finish his beer, before getting another and walking to the back with his brother. He looked towards her booth one more time as he made his way to the pool tables.

Kat downed her drink and talked with Sarah for awhile.

"Are you sure you're ok to drive home?" Sarah asked her after a few minutes.

"Actually, now I'm not so sure." Kat laughed. "I don't think I've had alcohol since the last time I went out with you guys come to think of it."

"God, that was like 7 months ago. Do you want me to drive you? It's no problem."

"Nah, Dylan's at the store. They should be done by 11. I can have Willie drop him off here and he can drive my car home." Kat said as she got out her phone to text Dylan.

"Well I'll sit here and wait with you, it's 10:40 now." Sarah said, sipping on her water she had got before pushing it to Kat.

A few minutes later, Dylan texted back saying their cousin Willie had just dropped him off so he was at her car.

"Let's go, he's outside." Kat said as she got up, Sarah followed.

Kat looked at the bar one last time and didn't see the man she had been talking to. She looked to the back around the pool tables and saw him looking at her. Resting his chin on top of his hands, which were on top of a pool stick he was leaning on. She gave him a smile before she walked out the door. He grinned, not remembering the last time a girl had come up to him by herself and just had a conversation with him. And a beautiful girl, at that.

Dylan smiled as he saw his sister walking towards him. He gave a wave to Sarah as she got in her car, and Kat tossed him the keys.

"Shut up, I haven't drank anything in awhile." Kat smiled at her younger brother.

"Oooh, Saturday should be fun." Dylan said as they got in the car.

"First time in a bar with you! Holy shit." Kat said. Dylan had just turned 21 a couple months earlier in January. Kat and her twin brother Scotty were 23.

"I know, right. Now we can do what we've been doing since we were 16, legally."

Kat laughed most of the way home, Dylan was obviously having fun with his slightly drunken sister. He kept telling her funny stories he had been a part of or one's he had heard. Kat missed this. Dylan was never home much when they all lived in one house. He couldn't stand being at home with their mother's boyfriend. So he would stay out as much as he could. She forgot how much she loved being around him. No matter how her day was, he'd always get her to smile. They had a lot in common so it was always easy for them to get along.

"Do you want to crash here? You can take the guest bedroom. I don't want you walking back to Kay's or waking Phil up to come and get you." Kat said as they got in the house.

Dylan nodded and yawned. "Yeah, I'm actually really tired. They had me moving a bunch of heavy boxes today and unloading the trucks for the past 5 hours."

"Alright, well I'll talk to you in the morning. Thanks by the way."

"No problem." Dylan said as he walked towards the guest bedroom that was right across the hall from Kat's room. Kat turned and locked the front door before going to her room and shutting the door. She walked into her bathroom and turned the sink on so she could take her make up off. As she waited for the water to warm up she put her hair into a messy ponytail and took her red skinny jeans off and threw them on the floor next to her. She would just sleep in the shirt she had worn tonight, she didn't feel like doing much more changing than what she had just done.

After her face was clean, she dug her phone out of her purse and set it on the bedside table before plugging it into the charger. She crawled into her "cloud" of a bed and was pretty sure she passed out the second her head hit the pillow.


	5. Chapter 4: Going Away Party

**anonymous**: if they're 'sooooo fricken old', heres a thought: don't even click on them when you see it in the description. its going to be a long story so i'm drawing it out. and have you ever read a _good_ book before? they usually have detailed paragraphs to keep the reader involved in whats going on. if your mind cant handle reading that much, then stop. since you didn't read past the first 'chapter', which wasn't even part of the story by the way, it was an intro, im not gonna hear it. I wont put up with bs reviews.

ANYWAY. on a lighter note :)

thanks everyone for all the pm's with nice things to say about this story, i'm glad so many people like it so far.

**codeblueeyes987**: thank you for the review & follow. they make me happy :) and yes, i wanted it to be light and fun, since this is before everything becomes a serious game of life or death every day of their lives.

**Going Away Party**

* * *

"Morning sunshine." Dylan said as Kat walked into her kitchen the next morning, who nodded her head at her brother. She had thrown on a pair of sweatpants before making her way to the kitchen where she heard him moving around. He however, just had his boxers and a tank top on he must've had on under his t-shirt the night before. He made them some coffee, so he was sitting at her small dining room table with two cups sitting out. "You should really buy food for this place. You have nothing but coffee here and I'm starving."

"Why? It would just go bad. I'm only ever here for a few days every so often."

"Yeah. But we could just take the food to Kay's when you leave." Dylan smiled.

"Like you need anymore food at that house. She makes enough to feed an army every time she cooks. You eat leftovers for days." Kat said, pouring the powdered creamer and sugar into her cup.

" At least you never mind eating the leftovers though. She's a great cook." The two agreed, sitting across from each other.

"So what's on the agenda for today." Kat asked, looking at Dylan.

"Well I have to be at work by noon, so we should probably head back over to Phil's in a little bit."

Kat nodded her head. "I'm gonna go put on some clothes then. You should too." She smiled, taking her cup with her to her room.

* * *

"So who was that guy you were talking to for a little bit last night? I think I've seen him at Jake's before." Audrey said as she started eating her lunch. She had texted Kat and asked if she wanted to meet her and Sarah on their lunch breaks.

"Um...Some guy I saw on the side of the road before I got to the restaurant. I guess he was helping his brother change his flat tire." Kat said, pushing the rice around her plate.

"Yeah...But what's his name?" Audrey said slowly, like it was obvious.

"Uh...I don't know."

"God, how much did you drink after I left?" Her friend laughed.

"No! I just never asked him. It never came up. We didn't talk for very long."

"Well maybe he'll be there again Saturday." Audrey said.

"Yeah that should be fun. I won't be able to stay too long though. I have to be into work in the morning." Sarah said, much to the dismay of the other two girls.

Kat kind of hoped she would she the man there though. She wanted to see those eyes again. She was such a sucker for blue eyes.

The rest of the day went slow. She had stayed at home with Phil and Kay until the boys got out of school. They were happy it was finally the weekend. They were going to spend the rest of it with their sister. They all played Xbox together, then she helped them with their weekend homework. Kay said she wished they would always be that excited to do their school work. The only time they ever actually wanted to do it was when Kat was there to help them. She knew it was just because they were happy to be spending time with their sister, no matter what they were doing. Most of the time, Kay had to bribe them with her famous homemade apple pie.

They had a movie night after supper and stayed up late watching horror movies. They all slept in the living room, spread out on sleeping bags and pillows. Until they were all woken up by the delicious smells coming from the kitchen in the morning.

* * *

"I like that place we was at Thursday." Merle said as he and his younger brother were carrying stacks of two-by-fours to the area they and the crew had marked off. They were finishing a deck they had started building earlier in the week for a house.

"Yeah. 'S a lot bigger than Jake's." Daryl said, throwing his stack down.

"You see that firecracker with the red in her hair?"

"Yeah." She'd crept into his dreams the night before. He didn't want to say he'd spoken with her. He knew his brother would go on about how he didn't take her home or bang her in his truck in the parking lot. 'Cause that's what I'd do' Merle would say.

"Spicy lil thing." Merle said as he kneeled down and got out the tape measure to start marking off where to cut the wood.

They would probably be done with this job around 1pm if they were lucky and could take lunch before heading across town. They were installing wood flooring in a new house on the other side of Barksdale. It was probably going to take them all week to do the first floor of the house anyway, so they were only working until 5 tonight. They would start again on Monday. Daryl didn't like working Saturday's much, so he hoped it would at least pass quickly.

* * *

Kat couldn't believe she was already leaving tomorrow. The days always flew by when she was here. She was excited to start the night though. Sure, she had drank with Dylan before, but she'd never gotten to go to a bar with him yet. It was like going to a bar with your buddies for the first time. It was really the only time Kat ever drank, when she came back to see her family and friends. It was also her "going away" party. And if Audrey and Sarah had anything to say about it, they always made sure it was hard for her to get up in the morning when she had a flight. Even when she said she wasn't going to drink that much. One of the last things you want with a hangover, is turbulence on an airplane. But it almost always ended up the same. Cousin Jase having to come pick up a very drunk Kat or Sarah being the designated driver for the night. The one thing they were both thankful for was Kat wasn't a 'let's puke all over the place' drunk. She just laughed a lot and couldn't walk a straight line. She was little, but the girl could hold her liquor, drinking Jase under the table a few times.

Audrey and Sarah were waiting for their friend at the bar already that night. Kat texted them saying her and Dylan were on their way. Jase was dropping them off and would be up late, so decided he would pick the two of them up. It was around 8:30pm when they walked through the door. Country music greeted them as they walked in and looked around for Audrey and Sarah. They spotted the two sitting in one of the booths facing the band. Of course they already had alcohol ready and waiting as the siblings sat down.

They took shot after shot with each other and had a couple of beers and mixed drinks while they listened to the band play. After awhile when some people started to leave, they all decided to go sit at the bar so they wouldn't have to keep getting up to go order, especially when it was getting more difficult to walk proper.

* * *

The parking lot wasn't as packed as it was earlier Thursday night, they noticed, as the 3 vehicles pulled in. It was around 10pm when the Dixon brothers and a few of the guys from work walked into Double Shots. The new bar in Ellijay was quickly becoming a favorite with the local 'wildlife'. They had been at Jake's Bar for awhile but they got bored with nothing to do there but drink and watch TV. If they wanted that, they might as well have stayed at home.

As the men entered the bar, they said hello to a few people they recognized, before walking toward the back game room. They had bets placed for a few games of pool.

Daryl heard laughing as the final song from the band faded out. He scanned the bar where it was coming from and his eyes landed on the girl he'd spoken to on Thursday night. She had on a plain pair of light blue jeans with rips in the front, up her thighs, but had black patches under them. And a gray t-shirt on that hugged her small body. _She can wear the hell outta such a plain shirt_. He thought as he looked at her. She was sitting with her legs crossed, facing the door, leaning back with her elbows on the counter. But she was looking at her friend next to her, laughing. He stopped, noticing the bar-stool next to her was open. He decided to take a chance and headed for it before he heard his brother.

"Darylina, get your ass over here!" Merle yelled from the back. "We're gonna kick these moron's asses tonight!" He said while grabbing a poolstick.

Kat heard yelling and looked to the back before looking ahead of her and seeing the man from Thursday. She smiled at him before he started walking to his brother.

Daryl rolled his eyes as he walked. They played a game before Merle walked up to the bar to get Daryl and himself a couple Budweiser's. They were all sitting at a table back there for awhile and having something to eat before they started a new game. He decided he'd go say hi to 'Red' while he was up at the bar. Daryl tried to keep his eyes on him the whole time.

"Two Budweiser's." Merle said to the bartender as soon as he got there. Sliding him a 5 dollar bill and planting himself in between Sarah and Kat. "How's your evenin goin Red?"

"Pretty great. Getting good and drunk before I have to leave tomorrow." Kat said looking at the man.

"Leavin? I've only seen ya twice, darlin'. You're breakin my heart." He feigned sadness.

"Oh don't worry baby, I'll be back." She winked at him before picking up her Jack and Coke and finishing it off.

"Well I sure hope so. Don't got enough good lookin girls round these parts." He said as the bartender sat down his beers and change. He was wondering how much he could mess with her. She seemed to like to joke around so far.

Daryl could see the two talking from his seat and Merle smiling at her, but couldn't see her face. He kinda hoped he would get to see her punch him, remembering what she said the other night. He was sure his brother would say something stupid to her.

"Why don't ya give me a lil partin gift til next time, huh?" Merle said raising his eyebrows. Causing Dylan to lean against the bar around Sarah to glance at Kat, giving her a "want me to kick his ass?" look. Merle was about the same height as Dylan but the older man was bigger. But Kat knew her brother's strength. All the Carsen kids could give a beating if they needed to.

"Oh, I don't think so, that would be Audrey's job," she pointed behind her at her friend.

"Hey!" Audrey, said to the two before going back to her drink.

Kat laughed as Merle smiled at her. He picked up his drinks and change, winking at the women as he walked towards the back. Daryl looked away as he saw his brother walking towards them again.

* * *

Dylan switched seats with Sarah to sit next to his sister when she said she was leaving close to half an hour later. They all, minus Sarah, had been taking shots of Jack and Jolly Rancher shots the last hour. Kat had her hand and head on Dylan's shoulder laughing uncontrollably when Audrey almost fell out of her chair as she got up to go talk to Brendan. Daryl saw her leaning into the man and him looking down at her laughing as well, as he made his way to the bar to get another drink. He felt a little jealous of the guy, if he was being honest.

"I gotta take a piss." Dylan said, sitting his sister upright as he got out of his seat. He passed right by Daryl on the way there, not noticing the man sizing him up. He was about the same height, but Daryl was more built. He had dark blond hair with a bit of scruff on his face, like him. He looked a lot younger though.

Both seats next to Kat were open now with Dylan and Audrey both absent. He decided to slide in front of Audrey's spot while he ordered his drink. Kat had laid her head on her arm, but sat up as soon as she heard his voice.

"Hey, Tire Boy! Do a shot with me." Kat slurred her words a little as she picked up and held out the shot glass of whiskey that was supposed to be Audrey's and pulled one of the other 2 in front of her.

"Don't ya think your boyfriend'll get mad?" He asked, taking the small glass, brushing his fingers with hers.

"Boyfriend?" She brought her eyebrows together, looking up at him.

"That guy you're here with.".

"Oh God, no." She laughed. "That's my younger brother. I don't have a boyfriend."

_Why the hell not?_ Daryl thought and smiled as he sat down in the seat. She raised hers and they clinked their glasses together and threw back their shots.

"I didn't get your name last time. I'm Kat." She said as she held out her hand. Daryl looked at it for a second before taking it and giving it a shake. He wasn't used to being touched much and didn't like it. His childhood ruined that for him. But her hand felt so small and soft in his.

"Daryl."

"So do you live around here?" Kat asked, putting her elbow on the table and resting her head in her hand.

"Yeah, just a few minutes outta the way in Barksdale." He said, putting his arms on the counter and focusing on the shot glass he was twirling around between his hands. If he looked at her face, he might start staring again.

"Yeah, I know where that's at. Hop, skip and a jump from here. I'm surprised I haven't really seen you before."

"You ain't from here." It wasn't a question. Daryl noticed she didn't really have any sort of accent.

"No, I live in DC. I come here every couple months to visit my little brothers. They live here with my Aunt and Uncle."

"Must have a lotta money to be comin down here so much." He looked at her face.

"I do alright." She smiled at him.

"All these yours?" He pointed to the various empty mixed drinks and shot glasses in front of them.

"A few, we were all sharing. We came out to have some fun before I leave tomorrow." Kat said. She had said she only came to vist 'every couple months.' He had a thought and almost wanted to ask her for a number, but knew he wouldn't. Daryl was kind of shy, keeping mostly to himself. He'd been that way for most of his life. Actually talking to her was the most outgoing he'd been in a long time. He hardly talked to most women, even when he was trying to hook up. Especially the pretty one sitting next to him right now. People were lucky to get more than a few grunts or nods from him. Here he was, giving her sentences. But he still didn't just come out and say 'can I have your number'.

He could hear Merle now in his head. _What the hell would a girl like that want with a guy like you?_ Pushing him away from the question even more. Maybe she was just friendly, or maybe it was just the alcohol.

Merle looked around the back room, wondering why Daryl was taking so long. He looked towards the bar and saw his baby brother sitting next to the pretty girl, talking with her while sipping his beer.

Daryl apologized to her if his brother, Merle, he called him, had said something rude to her earlier.

"He don't really know when to stop sometimes." Daryl said.

"Oh, it's fine. I've heard worse. I have 5 brothers."

"Jesus. If I had to put up with 5 of him, I probably woulda shot myself a long time ago."

_Since when does he have a set of balls?_ Merle asked himself as he got up and walked towards them. She was laughing at something his brother said to her.

Daryl smiled while he listened to her as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey Red. Whatcha doin talkin to him for when you could be talkin to this?" Merle came up behind them with a grin, and a beer in his other hand, gesturing to himself. Daryl's smile fell from his face as he turned back to his beer, with a slight shake of his head. Why did Merle have to mess everything up? He was actually having a nice time for once.

Kat looked up at Merle, before looking back at Daryl, displeased that the smile had fallen from his face the minute his brother came over.

_So it's that kind of relationship._ She thought. _Big brother picks on little brother_. She remembered Merle calling him Darylina when they came in.

Turning to face the older man, she sighed. "If I throw a stick, will you leave?"

Daryl brought his beer bottle to his mouth to hide the smile that was threatening to break through. But Kat could see the corner of his lips tug up, so she lightly kicked his boot with hers.

Merle slapped his hand on Daryl's back as he let out a laugh.

"I like this girl." He said as he sat on the other side of Daryl.

"This is Kat." Daryl jerked his head in her direction as his brother sat down.

"Kat, huh. Like..." Merle started, but Daryl glared at him, saying 'Don't you dare say pussy' with his eyes. "a cat."

"Ha, yeah Merle, like a cat." She said shaking her head, knowing what he was about to say. She'd been around men like Merle before. "Meoww." She said quietly, but loud enough that Daryl heard her and caused a corner of his mouth to pull up again. She grabbed her glass and started sipping the rest of her drink through the straw.

Dylan had come out of the bathroom at the back and saw Kat and the men talking. "We got a couple replacements joining the party?" He asked as he sat next to his sister and quickly downed the remaining shot.

"Yeah, this is Daryl and Merle. This is my younger brother Dylan." Kat said, chewing on the straw that was sticking out of her now empty glass of Jack. Dylan leaned forward shaking Daryl's hand, but Merle wasn't even paying attention. He was talking to the girl next to him whose boobs were practically hanging out of her shirt.

They stayed until after 1am, mostly playing pool and taking shots. Daryl surprised himself, and even Merle when he tried to keep her talking. He could never stand girls that did nothing but blab about nothing. But he kept asking her questions or encouraging her to continue stories she only shared a little of. She was cute and funny. He just wanted to hear her talk. She didn't have a Southern accent and he liked her voice. It made him feel comfortable.

When it came time to leave, Kat and Dylan made their way to the door, after waving goodbye to the Dixon brothers. Kat said they would see them next time she was in town. They made their way out to Jase's truck, or stumbled, was more like it, and he took them back to the Robertson's property.

"Boy, I don't think you've talked so much your whole life. Gabbin like a damn woman." Merle said to his brother as he walked around the pool table, trying to line up his next shot. They decided to stay the next hour until close. Daryl just rolled his eyes.

"You should go show her your truck next time before she leaves." Merle wiggled his eyebrows at his brother.

"She ain't that type."

"Any girl can be if she's got enough alcohol in her. Hell, she looked about 3 shots and half an hour away from fucking ya in the bathroom. I saw y'all lookin at eachother."

"We were talking."

"Whatever, boy. Startin to make me think you're gay. When's the last time you got laid or your dick sucked real good?"

"Will you shut the hell up and take the shot so we can leave, Merle." Daryl only had to sink the 8 ball and Merle would lose. He still had 4 more balls on the table and it wasn't likely he was about to make this shot with the way the whole game had gone.

_You're 30. Ain't you a lil old to have a crush on somebody?_ He thought as he watched Merle miss.


	6. Chapter 5: Blood Is Thicker

**Blood Is Thicker**

* * *

It had been three weeks since Kat returned to DC, and two since her and Leon had gotten back from their week long excursion in Iceland. For months they had been trying to find information on any new threats and try to capture or take out as many Umbrella or Tricell operatives as they could. Leon and Kat had both returned to their rendezvous point beaten, bloody and bruised. But with a plethora of new evidence they had saved on a small removable hard drive when they hacked onto one of the computers in the lab they were sent to. What they had found was both useful and frightening.

Blueprints for missiles that were filled with a toxic gas, that would have a 5 mile blast radius on impact. And they wanted to release several at a time from their labs all over the world. Aiming them at various populated cities around the globe. But of course not just that area would be in danger. Sure, everyone inside the impact zone that breathed in the toxic gas would get infected, but the virus would spread like wildfire once the victims had changed. Biting and tearing into people that were once like them, and in turn, spreading it even farther. Creating an endless cycle that they, again, would have to put an end to. They had done it before in Raccoon City, Spain, Africa, Russia and Greece.

But the data logs they had saved on the hard drive said that the tests for the missiles had failed. That the virus wouldn't adapt once they had put it in gas form, rendering it useless. Which put them out of immediate danger, but the fact that they were planning something that big was unsettling. How did they plan on keeping it under control had they gone through with it?

The DSO took the information on the locations of a few other facilities they were using. The people working at this particular place were smart enough not to list every one of their sister locations across the world, but they weren't smart enough to not list any. They logged the locations, some that had already been destroyed by the DSO or BSAA, and new ones they hadn't come across yet.

Kat's twin brother, Scotty, would lead a team of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance, otherwise known as the BSAA, into one of the new locations. While other agents continued going through all the data Kat and Leon had brought back. In hopes of finding something more that would shed light on any upcoming attacks or anymore weapons they were testing, or heaven forbid, information on a new virus. Because everyone knew, just because this lab's tests had failed, didn't mean they were going to give up. Kat firmly believed there would never be a day when the world didn't need the DSO or BSAA anymore.

"So how is your ankle feeling this week? Any better?" Sam asked his sister over the phone.

"Oh yeah, much. It will be all good to do some hunting with you guys next week." Kat said into her cell phone. Kat had told them she had sprained her ankle really bad when her and Leon had went hiking a week and a half ago. When what had really happened, was they had to make a jump from the top of an idle elevator to one that was several feet below them on the way to their rendevous point. And the normally graceful, Kat, had landed on her foot wrong. Forcing Leon to half carry her back since she couldn't put any weight on it. They'd narrowly escaped a fire fight after that, though not without Leon being grazed by a bullet to the arm. So there they had arrived, Kat's arm slung over Leon's shoulders and his arm around her waist while she carried the hard drive. And the agents at the rendezvous point sent to pick them up, had the gall to ask why they were late.

Kat talked to the rest of the family for the next hour. She had plans on returning to Ellijay, Georgia in a few days, but this time for an extended stay. She planned on being there for two weeks to spend time with her family. Phil and Kay's anniversary was falling during the second week she was there and they planned on taking a little camping getaway to the Cloudland Canyon State Park, which was 2 hours away in Rising Fawn, Georgia. They would stay there during Kat's second week and return when she left. Phil had planned on leaving her and Dylan in charge of the boys and to help run the shop during they week they were gone. The DSO had let her and Leon both take a leave of absence which gave her the opportunity for a nice long trip back "home".

Since she was going to have to take her gear with her on her trip, the DSO arranged a flight for her straight from DC to a private airport, for governmental use only just outside of Blue Ridge. Which was much closer to Ellijay and would save her from having to flash her ID to get through all the security checkpoints at an airport. Her time in the air would be much shorter as well. She was bringing her gear and weapons because the day she was to leave her trip, Leon would be flown in to Blue Ridge and they would both fly to Cuba. Where they would team up with the BSAA, to go to what they had discovered to be, was a huge underground lab run by a group calling themselves, Neo-Umbrella. This new group was thought to be the mastermind behind the gaseous missile plans and whatever else they were working on.

But Kat would worry about that when the time came. Right now, she was laying back in the big tub in her apartment, enjoying the hot, bubbly water that she was resting in. She had a glass of wine in one hand, and her favorite book in the other. _Walden_, by Henry David Thoreau. She couldn't count how many times she had read that book since she was little, but she loved it every time. She was interrupted by her cell phone buzzing on the edge of the tub. She looked down at her tattooed thigh, to see her quote from the book and a lovely nature scene before putting the book down and grabbing her phone. She had a text from Audrey.

'You'll never guess who is at Jake's.' was all it said.

'the easter bunny?' Kat replied. A few minutes passed before her phone buzzed again. This time saying she had a multi-media message. She opened it up to see a picture of Daryl. He was sitting on a bar stool a few seats from where Audrey must have been sitting. Looking straight ahead talking to the bar tender.

'Wow, you creeper.' Kat replied with a smile. As she waited for her to reply, she went back to the picture again. It was just of his profile, but she admired it for awhile. He was a good looking man. Maybe a little shy, but she could tell he had a tough side. There was something about his eyes that she couldn't get out of her head. Like they had a story to tell.

'He asked about you.' Audrey's text said.

Kat smirked a little. 'Oh yeah, what'd he want?'

'To see if I knew when you'd be back in town. He looked slightly pleased when I said next week :)'

'Slightly, pshh. You think it'd be more than that after a month.'

'Well in his defense, it did look like he was trying to fight himself from breaking into a full on smile?' Audrey said. That, turned Kat's smirk into a full on smile.

'Hmm. Well I trust that you told him we would be at Double Shots on Friday night then.'

'Duh :P'

Kat smiled and set her phone back down. Going back to her book for awhile before she got out of the tub and went to bed.

She enjoyed the rest of her relaxing week, packing here and there, before Monday morning came.  
Leon was at the private airport in Washington, helping Kat load her guns and gear. He said he would meet her at Blue Ridge in two weeks, and they parted ways. Leon was needed back at the DSO headquarters to be briefed more on the lab in Cuba. The BSAA had been scoping the place out for a week and was giving them daily updates. Leon told Kat he would send her information he got, even though she would receive a full filed report when they met at Blue Ridge again. "Good reading material for the plane ride" is what Leon had called it on one of their missions together.

Kat texted Dylan to let him know she would call him when she landed. He was coming to pick her up since the private landing strip in Blue Ridge was much closer to Ellijay than Dalton. Besides, Dylan had a little more of an idea about her job than that she just helped out with security, since he had seen her more 'special weapons' once. So she felt more comfortable with him helping her with her equipment than anyone else. Jase or Phil would've asked a lot of questions about the heavier bags.

"Man, am I glad you're going to be working with me next week. They've had me running around like a chicken with its head cut off, like I'm the only one working there." Dylan said as the two got into Kay's car at the airport.

"They're just trying to get everything done since Phil won't be there at all next week. We'll be fine." Kat said as she put her seat belt on.

"Yeah. Things won't be any different I guess. You've been bossing me around our whole lives anyway, it'll be just like old times." Dylan teased his older sister with a smile.

"Shut up, I have not." Kat smiled as she playfully slapped Dylan's arm.

They talked on the short way back to Ellijay. Dylan had only asked why she had to bring her stuff with her this time. All she had told him was that her and Leon had something to do right when she left, so they were meeting back at Blue Ridge. He didn't ask anything else. He knew she wouldn't be allowed to say. Kat was loyal. That was something he always admired about his sister, she would always have your back. The ride back to the Robertson's property only took a little under half an hour. She made a mental note that she would try to ask her superiors if she could use this method of transportation back and forth more often.

"It's so weird you being here on a Monday. Usually you're gone by then." Dylan laughed as he parked in front of her house next to her car.

"It's weird I'm here for more than 5 days, what are you talking about," Kat said with a smile, getting out of the car. They both grabbed her bags and made their way inside. Putting everything down inside her bedroom, she would sort through everything later.

"So uncle Phil said you could just settle in and visit today, but tomorrow he wants you to go with me to the store. Help me stock some stuff, go through invoices, just get the feel of things. You'll mostly just be in the back helping Dianna with the paper work and shipping orders next week, but I might need your help every now and then. So he just wants you to know what goes on."

"Yeah, that's no problem." Kat said as she threw the last bag full of clothes on her bed.

She'd went to the local grocery store with Dylan to stock up on a little bit of food for her house when they were done, before heading over to the Robertson's. The boys were home from school by then and were excited to see their sister. Miss Kay was hoping Kat would scold her younger brother Sam, for being put in detention that day. But simply gave him a "good for you" when she asked what for. An older boy, Mike, was bullying him and when Sam just ignored him, Mike got annoyed. Getting frustrated that the boy wasn't getting upset. 'Don't give them any satisfaction' Kat had always told her younger brothers. So Mike pushed Sam against his locker in the hallway and got in his face. Sam had pushed him off and punched him. Needless to say, Mike wouldn't so much as look at him after that. Every one of the Carsen's could throw a good punch, Kat included. Kay just shook her head at her niece while the girl ruffled her younger brother's hair.

"Need any help Kay?" Kat called over her shoulder to her Aunt, who sounded like she was struggling in the kitchen.

"Yes dear, would you come get this roast out of the oven, it should be done by now." Kay said as she was trying to reach for a pot that was in one of the higher cupboards. She let out a frustrated sigh as she turned and looked at her niece who just got into the kitchen.

"Don't look at me, I'm shorter than you." Kat laughed. Dylan hearing the exchange, got up to help the women.

The next few hours passed quickly. Like they always did when Kat was with the ones she loved most. Jase and his wife had come over to see her and have supper with them before she went back to her house that night.

"Be here at 11 tomorrow morning. We'll go get lunch then go to the store." Dylan had said as he gave her a hug before she walked outside. She gave him a kiss on the cheek with an "okay" before she got in her car.

After she had taken a bath and got dressed for bed, she grabbed her laptop. Bringing up her DSO email, she opened the file Leon had sent her. It didn't contain much information even though the BSAA had been there for a week, watching. Most of the staff must've stayed inside the building. The lab was an underground facility. So they only saw a few people topside, entering and leaving. They wouldn't know much until they got inside, as Kat suspected. She closed her computer, putting it back in her bag and grabbed her phone. She decided to call Leon and talk for awhile before she went to sleep, to see if they had said anything else in the briefing that wasn't in the file.

The next day at the shop was a lot more work than she remembered it being a few years ago when she had to help out. The company had grown a lot since then. It was 3pm and she was going through a box with Dylan in one of the isles near the front of the store, restocking camping gear. She was reaching above her putting a rolled up sleeping bag on the shelf and looking back down at the clipboard in her hands when a voice interrupted her.

"Don't I know you?" A voice came a few feet to her right.

She turned and saw a confused looking, but smiling Daryl. He had a box of pistol ammo and boots in his hands. "Hey, what are you doing here?" She smiled at him.

"I should ask you the same thing. Thought you didn't live here, you look like you're workin."

"Well I'm here for a little while this time. My uncle wants me to help out since him and Kay will be gone next week so," Kat started but Daryl cut her off.

"Wait, old man Robertson's your uncle?" He asked, a look of surprise on his face.

"Yeah, that's who the boys live with. That's why I come here to visit more."

"No shit." Daryl said. She didn't look or sound like a country girl. Far from it.

"Daryl!" Kat heard another familiar voice yell. "We gotta go. Boss-man wants that wall done by the end of the day." Merle said, she couldn't see him, but his voice carries.

Daryl looked to his left, where Merle must've been, over by the cash registers and door.

"Guess I'll see ya this weekend." Daryl said with a quick smile. Kat returned it with one of her own and a nod before he walked off.

Kat could hear the brothers as Daryl got closer.

"What the hell was takin you so long?" Merle asked. She could hear Daryl mumble something but couldn't make it out. Kat just smiled, going back to her task.

The next day had passed quickly. They all looked forward to dinner though. It was what was dubbed at the Robertson's "Wacky Wednesday". They had all kinds of Mexican food for supper and most of the Robertson clan came over. Kat went to the back game room with all the boys who wanted to play video games, as they were talking about their hunting trip they were going on with her the next day on the Robertson land. They wanted to get some squirrels, pheasants and ducks for Kay to cook that night. Which would hopefully keep the boys fed through the weekend, since Kay wouldn't be there to cook. Her and Phil were leaving on Friday night before her and Dylan went out with Audrey and Sarah.

"Hey Kat, be on my team, you're a good shot." Sam had said to his older sister, handing her an Xbox controller. _Yes I am_, she thought and took it with a smile.

* * *

It was late Thursday afternoon, the light had turned green a few seconds earlier, but Daryl was too focused on the sight he was seeing to his left. Kat had on a thin, black long sleeved shirt, camouflage cargo pants and Dylan's Remington 597 .22LR slung across her back in the parking lot of Robertson's Sporting Goods. They had parked in the back of the parking lot away from the other cars. Her and the 4 boys had been in the woods all morning, and it showed in the back of Jase's truck. Which he loaned them for the day, because he doubted Dylan wanted to explain bloody animals in the trunk of Kay's nice car.

Dylan had run into the store because they needed to stock up on some more LR rounds since they had all used some today. Phil didn't like being short on anything.

"Green means go, boy, what the hell you lookin at?" Merle yelled. They had just got done with work for the day and Daryl needed to run to the store again for a new sheath for his hunting knife. He could've got a cheap one at the little store in Barksdale but he was hoping she would be here. But he didn't expect to see what he did, she looked kinda hot in hunting gear and a gun across her back. He pulled into a parking space next to her, with one space between them. She was hopping up to sit on the back hatch of the truck which was down. Sam, Kaleb and Blake were all in the back of the truck, sitting around the various animals. Sam kept switching the safety from his Long Rifle on and off, Kaleb was wiping off one of the hunting knives Dylan and Kat had used to field dress the birds. And Blake was playing with a dead squirrel. Which Daryl could hear her telling him to put it down as he got out of his truck.

"Hey there." Kat smiled to him as she looked over.

"Looks like you guys have been busy today." Daryl said walking up to Jase's truck with his hands in his pockets. Merle was making his way around Daryl's blue and white 1979 Ford F150.

"Yeah, I promised my brothers I'd go with them when I came back this time. We've been out all morning. Boys, this is Daryl and Merle. Guys, this is Sam, Blake and Kaleb." Kat said as she pointed to each of her brothers. All who either said hi or waved.

"Well shit, Red. Didn't take you as the huntin type." Merle was leaning against the back of Daryl's truck. He didn't bother coming any closer. He just wanted to go home.

"This is Phil Robertson's niece. Course she hunts." Daryl looked back at his brother quickly. He looked as surprised as Daryl was when he first found out.

Kat raised her eyebrows and shrugged, hiking one of her legs up on the back hatch and resting her elbow on her knee. "So what are you here for today?"

"New sheath for my blade." Daryl said and patted his right front jeans pocket. Where Kat could see a leather sheath that looked like it was barely holding itself together.

"Oh shit, yeah. Come on." Kat said hopping down and walking past the younger Dixon, who quickly turned and followed her. Merle just shook his head at his younger brother. _Damn boy already following her around like a puppy and she ain't even gave him none yet._

They made their way towards the back where they had the different knives in cases and helped him pick out a new sheath that hugged his Busse TG very nicely. It was a fine blade but Kat preferred her Gerber Silver Trident. It was her best friend when they were out hunting. It wasn't in the sheath she had on her left hip at the moment though, Kaleb was cleaning it in the back of the truck. They ran into Dylan on their way back out so they all walked out together.

"So are you gonna be at Double Shots tomorrow night?" Kat asked Daryl as they walked to his truck.  
"Planned on it. Probably be there round 9." Daryl said looking down at her, messing with his new sheath.

"Well I'll see you there then. I better get these guys home so we can skin and finish cleaning all the shit in the back." Kat said. That shouldn't have turned him on, but it did for some reason. He didn't even know why. He guessed it was just the thought of her not being afraid to get a little blood or guts on her, and knowing how to handle a knife, made something click in him. He looked away from her face.

_Get in the car. NOW._ His mind was screaming at him. Merle slamming his truck's door took him out of his mindset. Merle hadn't even wanted to ride with him to the store, but Daryl didn't want to drive across town to Barksdale to drop him off, then come back when they were going right past the store.

"Yeah, I'll see you then." Daryl said. Kat leaned around him to wave at Merle, who flashed a quick smile and waved back, before she got into the passenger's side of the truck she was in.  
"What?" Daryl said to his brother when he got in the truck, seeing the look his older brother was giving him. Merle just smirked and shook his head. The two trucks went separate ways, honking once at each other as they pulled out of the parking lot.

They had sat outside over at the picnic table at Phil and Kay's house to finish getting all of the small game ready for Kay. Kat had got each of the boys hunting knives Phil had in the garage and put them to work cleaning the animals. Once they were done they each had something in their hands to bring in to their Aunt. As soon as they were walking through the door, Kat's phone started to ring. She handed a duck to Dylan and wiped her free hand on her pants before she grabbed her phone and clicked the Answer button.

"Hey Leon," Kat said as she answered the phone. He had just wanted to know how hunting had gone since she mentioned it to him the day before. He hadn't got any new information on the lab, so she didn't ask. After a few minutes she caught Kay out of the corner of her eye mouthing 'Let me talk to him when you're done.' She walked over to her with the phone. Leon had lost his parents several years beforehand and was basically alone. So Kay took it upon herself to always ask Kat how Leon was doing and always sent her back with food to bring her handsome partner.

"Oh hello honey, how are you?" Kay said as soon as Kat gave her the phone. She smiled and took the skinned squirrel she had in her other hand and put it on the counter with the rest before walking to the kitchen sink.

* * *

Daryl had been practically buzzing all day. He wanted the day to be over as soon as possible so he could see her that night. He didn't know what it was about that girl that made him act like this. He almost felt like he was in highschool again with his first crush. He'd told Merle he just wanted to get the work done and go home, but Merle knew. The boy had been acting weird since he met that girl. They had a lot of work for a Friday, so they got done a little later than usual. But they all parted ways and started to their homes at about 7. Daryl went home to his small one bedroom house in Barksdale to have something for dinner and take a shower.

Kat was saying goodbye to Kay and Phil, who were passing out hugs and I love you's to each of the boys and herself. Blake was saying he wasn't feeling well, but Kat figured it was just because he didn't want his Aunt, who was basically his mother, to leave for over a week. Even if he was going to be with his big sister. Kay told him they'd be back before he knew it and to go lay down. Kat had helped them with their bags out to Phil's truck and said goodbye one last time before she watched them drive away. She went back into the house to see Dylan and her two younger brothers in the living room watching TV. It was 8pm by now so Kat and Dylan were getting around to leave. Sam would be in charge for awhile while the two oldest Carsen's were gone. He'd been left alone with the boys before for a few hours so they weren't worried. He was old enough. He knew to lock the door and knew both Kat and Dylan weren't that far away if he needed to call them. He also knew how to use a gun and was a good little shot if something happened.

Audrey, Sarah, Dylan and Kat had been sitting at a booth, just sipping on beers and listening to the band that was playing when Kat's phone started to ring. She saw it was Kay's house phone, so she answered it.

"Hello?" Kat said. She heard mumbling on the other end, and could vaguely make out Sam's voice. "Sam, hold on, I can't hear you over the band." She said as she pushed on Dylan's shoulder so he would get up and let her out of her seat. She made her way to the front door and walked outside.  
"Okay, what's up?" She said as she leaned against the building, outside.

"Blake wants you to come home. He's puking." Sam said, sounding kind of bored.

"Oh, shit. Alright, well give him some Tums, they're up in the cupboard above Kay's bathroom sink, and me and Dylan will be there in a little bit, okay?"

"Alright." Sam said as they hung up.

As much as Kat wanted to see Daryl again, her little brother was more important. She went back inside to let Dylan know what was going on. He was fine with leaving, the band sucked. She told Audrey they would be back tomorrow night and said bye to the girls. Before Kat left, she went up to the bartender and ordered a Budweiser. She wrote something down on a napkin and told her who to give it to when he came up to the bar.

Only 20 minutes had gone by since Kat and her brother had walked out, when Daryl walked in. He looked around, spotting her two friends sitting in a booth across from each other, but didn't see Kat anywhere. He walked up to the barstools and sat down in one, flagging the bartender down. He was getting ready to order when the man pushed a Budweiser to him, with a napkin underneath. Daryl nodded a thank you to the man and picked up the napkin. It had neat handwriting on it.

_**Sorry I missed you. Little brother got sick. I'll be here tomorrow night.  
xo  
Kat**_

She'd wrote a number that must've been her cell phone, above the words. And signed it with a lipstick kiss. Daryl took his cell phone of out of the pocket, replacing it with the napkin and saved the number in his phone. He thought about calling her, but decided to text instead, after he finished his beer. He'd come alone tonight, so he would finish it and just go back home.  
Kat was in the bathroom with her little brother, wetting a small hand towel to put on the back of his neck while he was laying his head down on the toilet seat. She'd taken his temperature and he wasn't running a fever, so she thought it was just something he had ate.

She felt her phone buzz so she took it out of her pocket, seeing a number she didn't recognize. She smiled a bit, hoping it was Daryl's.

'How's the kid?' It read. She replied before saving his number in her phone.

'He'll be okay. Just ate something that didn't agree with him.'

'Probably one of them squirrels you gave him. Your fault.'

'Shut up, no one else got sick haha. It was probably the dead one he was playing with. Bad karma.'

She waited for a text back but her phone started ringing instead. She was kind of surprised, she didn't expect him to call. But he wanted to hear her voice.

"This is just faster." He had said. They talked for a little longer, Blake still retching every now and then.

"There's not even anything coming up anymore. Poor thing is just still getting sick though." She said into the phone, rubbing her little brother's back.

"You got any Apple Cider Vinegar there?" Daryl asked her.

"Um. I'm sure Kay does somewhere. Let me go check." Kat said as she got up and made her way to the kitchen. Daryl could hear her opening and shutting cupboards, moving things around.

"No, I dont think...Oh, wait, here's some." Kat said. Daryl frowned a little. He wanted an excuse to just bring her some.

"Take about a tablespoon of it and put it in warm water. Let him drink that for awhile. It'll calm his stomach down. Put honey in it if he don't like the taste."

"Never tried that before. He hates peppermint and that was the only thing I could think of to calm his stomach down. I'll try this then." Kat said. They talked a few more minutes while Kat made Blake his water. Daryl said he would let her go so she could take care of her baby brother. They exchanged goodbyes and said they would see eachother the next night.

Blake was sipping his water with Kat on the couch. It had been almost two hours, and just like Daryl had said, the water had calmed his stomach down. He hadn't gotten sick again after he started drinking it. Kat pulled her phone out and decided to text Daryl.

'Your food poison remedy worked great. Thanks :)' She sent the message. After a few minutes she got a reply. He had said he was glad to help.

'Good night.' Her text read. He smiled and replied.

'Night Kat.' He laid back down in his bed. He put his hands behind his head and stared at his bedroom ceiling. He was going to ask her if she wanted to go get coffee with him when he saw her tomorrow night. _Girls like her like coffee right?_

* * *

Kat's phone went off with a text from Leon before her and Dylan were getting ready to leave for Double Shots the next night.

'Check your email.' Is what it said.

She told Dylan to wait for her in her living room, she had to do something real quick. She went back to her bedroom and pulled her laptop out, opening her DSO email. The file Leon had sent her said that the BSAA agents on lookout had seen a larger group of people arrive at the lab in Cuba, bigger than they'd seen the last two weeks. They had pictures of them going into the small building that led to the underground facility. Kat could see at least 11 people filing into the small building, when the BSAA had previously only see 4 or 5. Leon sent her another text before she closed her laptop.  
'They might be flying me in early. They're deciding whether or not they want us to leave and meet Scotty there earlier.' Kat sighed and replied.

'I need to get drunk.'

* * *

Daryl could hear music before they walked in. Cherry Pie by Warrant was playing from the Jukebox.  
"Woowee! Would ya lookie here!" Merle said looking at the bar with a big grin on his face. Daryl looked around his brother, seeing Kat. She had on black leggings and a long, loose fitting dark gray tank top that came a couple inches past her ass. It had a big faded white + across the front with a big dark red rose on top of it with what looked like faded blood or paint dripping down it. But that wasn't why he was looking at her, not entirely. She and her friend Audrey were up on the bar dancing with eachother, holding her plain black heels in her hands. All the men around were staring up at them, whistling and smiling.

He wanted to go up and talk to her, but really didn't want to interrupt the show. He flicked his tongue out over his bottom lip. The way she was moving her hips was taking his mind to awful places. He leaned against the wall behind him, putting his hands in his pockets. The girls continued to dance until the song ended. Kat turned around, grabbing the thin wooden column that went from the bar top to the ceiling at the corner of the bar. She glanced toward the door quickly and noticed the men standing there. And quickly noticed a certain man with a black and grey button down flannel on and a smirk on his face.

"Daryl!" Kat yelled with a big smile on her face the moment she saw him.

Yeah. Hearing her yell his name really wasn't helping his thoughts either. But he walked past Merle, who looked a little dumbfounded, and started towards her.

"Come on girls, get down, this isn't a strip club. Pull your dress up." He heard Sarah say who was laughing and holding out her hands to help Audrey down.

"Was wonderin where you'd be when I got here. Didn't see this comin though." He said as he got closer.

"Help me down." She said as she smiled.

Daryl stepped up closer to the bar. Kat sat her heels down on the bar top and bent down to put her hands on his shoulders, he instinctively brought his hands up to her waist. She in turn put most of her weight onto her hands while he lifted her down from the bar and set her on the ground again.

"Thanks," She smiled and looked up as him before turning around and grabbing her heels. She took a seat in one of the bar stools and put them back on.

"Don't weigh nothing." Daryl said as he sat down next to her. She felt light as a feather.

"Don't let that fool ya. She's 108 pounds of mean when she needs to be. Which is more often than not." Dylan said coming up and sitting on the other side of Kat.

"Is not." Kat smiled and hit her brother's arm. Daryl smiled at the interaction between the two. He could tell they had a close relationship with each other.

They had a few more drinks together, except for Dylan. He was going to drive home that night, so he stopped awhile ago. Kat was already pretty drunk by then. She was laying her head down on her arm and looking at Daryl while they talked. She sat up as she heard Audrey laughing at something Dylan had said. Audrey tried to get up and stumbled a little, grabbing onto Dylan's arm, giving him her best set of bedroom eyes.

"Come on, Dylan, let's go dance." She said as she licked her lips. Kat knew Dylan thought Audrey was hot. And Audrey thought the same of her friends younger brother.

Dylan raised his eyebrows and started to get up. Audrey was leading him to the dance floor and passed by Kat, who grabbed her arm.

"Audy, please please, do not fuck my little brother." Kat said to her friend with her eyes closed.

Audrey laughed, "We're just dancing, lighten up." She winked at her and led her brother away.  
"Oh god." Kat said shaking her head and laid back down.

"Ya alright?" Daryl said, smiling down at her and picking up his beer.

"Yeah I'm fine," Kat said as she sat back up. "I just don't really want that to happen." She pointed to Audrey who was grinding on her brother. She picked up her empty glass and shook it at the bar tender, who started making her another Sex on the Beach.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes before Daryl finished off his beer and looked at her.

"So...I was thinkin..." He said, messing with the label on the empty beer bottle in front of him.

"Yeah, what about?" Kat smiled at him. She could tell he was nervous. He looked back down at his beer bottle.

"Well...Maybe," Daryl started but was interrupted by yelling at the back, causing the two of them to look in the direction of the noise. A fight had broken out and a couple bouncers were trying to break it up. And guess who'd started it.

"Damn it, Merle!" Daryl yelled as he got up. Kat got up and followed him.

"I got him, I got him." Daryl said to one of the men. He grabbed his older brother's arm and started yanking him to the door. "What the hell are you doin?"

"Guy's a fuckin pussy!" Merle yelled in the direction of the other guy. He was obviously very drunk. Daryl could hardly keep him standing straight.

"Damn it, ya big ape. Come on. Before you get in more trouble." Daryl said leading him to the door, with Kat behind him. Merle just had to ruin everything.

He looked back at her as he reached the door. She smiled up at him. He had a strange look on his face, she could tell he didn't want to leave, but he had to take care of his brother.

"Go on, I'll talk to you later." Kat said with a smile.

Daryl nodded his head, and she came forward, placing a quick kiss on his cheek. He turned red as soon as she pulled back, he hoped she didn't notice, but she did. She waved and said bye to the brothers as she made her way back to her seat.

Daryl dragged his brother to his truck and got him in the passenger seat before he started driving him home. He couldn't stop thinking about what just happened. He glanced over at his brother, passed out and snoring. He smiled as he turned back to the road. Resting his left arm on the door panel and bringing his hand to his cheek. He kind of wished he could still feel her lips on him. She had smelled amazing.

* * *

"Hey beautiful, how you feeling?" Audrey's voice sounded over the phone.

"I'm promoting my liver to CEO because it's clearly worked harder than any other organ in my body this weekend." Kat rubbed her temple with her free hand. "Doesn't your head hurt? Shouldn't you be throwing up or something? You could hardly walk when me and Dylan left."

"No, I feel great. You wanna go grab some lunch?"

"Shit, lunch? What time is it?" Kat sat up straight.

"Its 12. Ya know...lunch time?"

"Fuck! I was supposed to be over at the store to help Dylan at 10 this morning. I told him to wake me up. I gotta go." Kat said, clicking the end button on her screen. Kat rushed around making herself look somewhat presentable. Luckily her makeup from the night before stayed for the most part, so she threw her hair up in a ponytail and went out to her car.

The rest of the day had went slow. And coupled with last night's shenanigans, Kat was exhausted by the time she got home. They warmed up the last of the leftovers and had dinner with each other before turning in for the night.

* * *

Daryl was laying in bed. He hadn't talked to Kat since the night before. But he knew she was supposed to work at the Robertson's store this whole next week. He was going to be busy tomorrow, but Tuesday he knew would be a slower day. He was going to see her at the store on his lunch break and ask her if she wanted to grab something to eat with him. But that day never came


	7. Chapter 6: The Beginning of the End

_**Michelle:** Thank you so much, I'm glad you like it! I plan on keeping this going for a long time. And you're right! Here come da zombies._

_As you'll find out, Kat likes sharp objects :) They're kind of her weapon of choice when she's up close. I myself, love guns and knives(I actually own some of these), so I like to give specifics. I'm a visual person, and some of these need a picture instead of me going into detail. Plus they're just cool to look at ;D. Especially her Ulaks. I feel like some people wouldn't know what the hell I was talking about or would be picturing the wrong thing in their head if I sort of explained what they look like. SO, here are links to the pictures of Kat's weapons that I will be mentioning every now and then from here on out. And yes, Josh Frohmeyer, aka Scud. The effin weapons genius that our lovely Reedus plays in Blade 2. That's why Kat's Special Weapons are bad as fuck ;)_

_Since FanFiction doesn't actually let you post links, there are spaces every now and then. So just copy and paste the link in your web browser and get rid of the spaces if you want to seeee. & enjoy this next chapter._

_**note**: I've checked all the links, so they work. Just make sure you don't miss any spaces or line breaks._

_w w w . swords24 . eu/images/products/en/Ontario_Spec_Plus_Marine_Com bat_Knife_ONSP1. j p g_  
_Kat's Ontario Spec Plus Marine Combat Knife_

_e c x . images-amazon._  
_com/images/I/51exKWX98-L . j p g_  
_Gerber Silver Trident, Kat's hunting knife. She gave it to Sam at some point before this chapter, so it's used mostly as his now._

_fc 02 . deviantart._  
_net/fs71/i/2012/286/f/c/ my_hidden_blade_ _booyah_ _ _xd_by_xpvtcaboosex-d5hpaxb. p n g_  
_Kat's Hidden Blade she wears on her right arm. I believe I introduced it first in Chapter 1. AC ftw. She also has two smallll hidden blades in the bottom of a pair of boots I'll incorporate later. If she steps on the side of her boot a certain way it will come out the back of her right one, or the front on her left, depending which one she's using. These are courtesy of Scud of course ;)_

_w w w . swordsswords._  
_com/images/products/detail/Light_ _Dark_Throwing_Knife_12_Piece_Set. j p g_  
_Kat's Throwing Knives_

_w w w . swordsandweapons._  
_net /assets/images/ mc2069. j p g_  
_Kat's Ulaks, Sabre Claws, one or the other. They are one of Kat's preferred melee weapons, but her's look different. The one that is always in her left hand will have sharp, hook like serrated edges from the tip to a few inches below the handle, so if she were to stab anything with it, when she pulled it out it would cause even more damage. The one that will always be in her right, dominant hand will be her slicing claw. And looks basically just like the picture, except for the little hooks by the handle, it is smooth all the way down, and both are sharp as razors._

_images 3 . wikia. no cookie._  
_net/_ _cb20130107220245/residentevil/images/7/73/CrossBo w_RE 6. j p e g_  
_Kat's Assault Rifle / Crossbow Hybrid. The sides fold in, the stirrup folds under, and for all intents and purposes, it is an assault rifle. But on the foregrip, there is a switch, much like on the safety of a gun, that when it is switched, the sides will fold out, allowing you to use the crossbow. (Scud tweaked it, obvyyy)_

_img 266. image shack. us /img266/6256/beretta92fs inox. j p g_  
_Kat's silver 9mm Beretta 92FS._

_jd defense._  
_com/gallery/photos/Guns-Bullets-Stuff/cs 45. j p g_  
_Kat's small sidearm she keeps in a brown leather shoulder holster. A silver Smith & Wesson CS9._

**The Beginning of the End**

* * *

It had been a little over a month after this madness began. Kat hadn't been able to contact anyone in the beginning because the phone lines were down and her cell phone wasn't sending or receiving. She had thrown it out the window a long time ago. The day she was supposed to leave, she took the boys with her and sat at Blue Ridge all day. On the false hope that Leon would still show up and get them out of this hell. That was 4 weeks ago. When it was clear he wasn't coming, that's when she knew. This was happening in more towns than just little, old Ellijay, Georgia. The first thing she thought of was the gaseous missiles in the plans Neo-Umbrella had been working on. Had they got the virus to adapt? None of the news reports said anything about missiles or bombs or explosions. So what caused it? She'd been asking herself that for weeks. But now she was asking why it hadn't been taken care of yet. This must've been bigger than she originally thought. She just hoped where ever they were, whatever they were doing, her brother Scotty and Leon were okay.

The last thing the radio had said, was there would be what sounded to Kat like a Forward Operating Base in Atlanta, Georgia and survivors should make their way there. That the military was there and that they would be safe. Food, shelter, protection. That was the last she heard before the radios went silent and the cameras had stopped rolling. She figured if they could get to the FOB, she could show her government badge and be able to get any information she could and hopefully, somehow, get in contact with her people. So she had decided that's where they would head.

Blake and Kaleb had faught her on it, they wanted to go and get Phil and Kay. But they had had a few close calls already, Kat reminded them. She knew Phil would keep him and his wife safe. Rising Fawn, Georgia was in the complete opposite direction of Atlanta, and Kat knew they wouldn't have the gas to be wasting. So she had packed up all her gear, all the ammunition and weapons Phil had around the property, food and camping gear, and they split up in two cars. Kat's Avenger and Kay's Optima, that she had left behind when they had taken Phil's truck on their trip. After Dylan and Kat had went to the Robertson's store and grabbed whatever looters hadn't thought to take or had missed, they headed out of Ellijay. They stopped at Jase's house which was on the way and locked the younger boys in the cars. Her and Dylan had made their way inside, seeing the place was a mess. There was blood on the floor in the living room and tables were flipped over. There were a few spent shell casings on the floor but there were no bodies anywhere in or around the house. Jase's truck was gone. The boys were disappointed when their two oldest siblings came back to the cars without Jase.

But that had all been weeks ago. Kat told her brothers what she really did in DC around a fire a few nights later. Talk about a scary camp fire story. Only this one was true. When she told them she had seen something like this several times before, only on a much smaller scale, they were shocked. More shocked about that, than they were when she had basically told them she killed people for a living. They thought zombies were the things of movies, video games and scary stories. No one could say anything. But they felt a little better knowing she was capable of keeping them safe in this situation. She said she had gone through this plenty of times before. That night after the younger boys had been put to bed, she talked with Dylan more about it. He had the same questions she had. How could plans for something this big go undetected for so long, if it was as bad as they thought it was? Was this happening across the whole United States? Worldwide? Why wasn't the government doing anything? Where was the military? Where was the DSO and BSAA? What started it? Unfortunately she couldn't answer any of them. Her and Dylan had taken turns being on watch that night while the others slept, like they continued to do today.

It was a long day of driving and going through houses out in the Georgia country side. They decided they would finish their trip to Atlanta the following day. They didn't have much further to go, a few hours at the most, but it would be night time when they arrived if they kept going now. Kat didn't want to be on the road after dark, or be walking into a situation she had no idea what to expect of, when visibility wasn't that great. So they had drove off the road into a relatively flat field and parked the cars. They got out the three tents they had and started to set them up while Kat made a fire. They ate their supper in silence and with their weapons hot and ready at their sides. Always listening and watching. That seemed like all they ever did now. Kat climbed on to the top of her car after dinner to get a better view of the field they were in. Being a little higher up, she could easily see across the field. With the full moon and no clouds, the sky lit up the night nicely for her. She got comfortable on the top of her car and started her watch for the night until Dylan got up to relieve her.

* * *

It was late afternoon by the time the Carsen clan had gotten about a mile outside the city. Once the two older siblings felt the area was secure, they parked the cars while Dylan and Kat scouted ahead to see if it was really safe. Kat had a bad feeling going in. The place would've been booming with activity if this was an FOB and a refugee camp. Surely they would've put barricades up and there would be scouts working a perimeter and lookouts on top of the surrounding buildings. But it was eerily quiet and she hadn't seen any of that. As Kat and Dylan snuck more into the city, she could see that it was a lie. What once had been a safe haven looked like a battlefield of sorts. Papers and trash littered the streets. Some cars were burnt out and some overturned. There weren't any high walls or barricades that she could see. How was this supposed to keep people safe? The further they got into the city, the more dead bodies they saw. Some dead, others, not so much. The two snuck around the undead corpses they could, without being noticed. They were coming up to a section that looked like it had more military presence than the rest. There were several Humvees and trucks, and Kat saw a tank sitting in the middle of the street. As they got closer, she looked around, seeing the bodies of former soldiers on the ground and one laying over the main gun of the tank, obviously deceased.

Kat could hear movement on her right, so she put her back to the wall and carefully peeked around the corner of the building they were just in front of. She finally saw why the city so quiet. At a glance, what looked like half the whole town lined the street. But they weren't people, not anymore. Some were just standing idly, staring at nothing. Others were walking around. And others were eating whatever was left of the person that once was. Kat motioned to Dylan to go back and they quickly and quietly went back the way they came. They stopped in a few small stores to see if there was anything worth grabbing. Luckily they were clear. Whatever undead had been roaming around in there were laying on the floor. Scavengers had already been in there before, which also meant they were picked clean. They made their way back outside.

Dylan and Kat had both put Kat's silencers on their handguns to muffle the shots if they absolutely needed to fire a shot in the city, but didn't want to waste the ammo that Kat knew they would need at some point. If they had seen any undead, they had tried to avoid them, taking alternate paths, unless there was only one of them. As they rounded a corner that would lead back to their cars, there was a lone zombie that hadn't been there before. It had spotted the two of them, moaning and slowly making it's way towards them. Neither of them pulled their triggers. They had had this conversation already. If there was only one or a couple, do it without guns. They'd had to dispatch a few with their knives today already. Kat put her silver Beretta 92FS in her left hand and carefully walked towards the corpse that was snapping it's jaws at her. She brought her arm back, unsheathing her trusty hidden blade and drove it deep into the thing's eye socket. She pulled her arm back, withdrawing the blade with a sucking sound and the corpse fell to the ground at her feet. She made a quick movement with her arm, flinging the dark colored blood still on the weapon toward the floor. She released the mechanism that let the blade slide back into it's hiding place.

Every time Kat came back from a mission with Leon, she went to her good friend and weapons specialist, Josh Frohmeyer. Thanking him once again for all of the goodies he made especially for her, and how she had used them that time to save her's or Leon's ass. She wished she could thank him now. She had a feeling she would be using these more than she ever planned to.

The rest of the way back was quiet. It had taken them longer to get back than it had getting there, with their few detours they had to take. An hour had passed from the time they left the younger boys at the cars. They hadn't seen another zombie on their walk back. It seemed like most of the undead stayed in the city, where most of the "food" had been. But Kat felt too close for comfort and wanted to get the cars as far away as she could. Dylan and Kat had told the younger boys in the cars that they wouldn't be staying in Atlanta. They made their way back a little ways out of town until they found a grassy trail that led into the woods, opening up into a small clearing. It was just big enough to fit their tents and a fire inside, but they would have to park the cars outside on the trail. They did the same thing they did at the end of every day and started getting their stuff for the night out. Kat gave Dylan her AR/Crossbow with a few bolts from her bag and told him to find them something to eat while she was on watch. No one said anything about it, but she could tell by the looks on their faces, they were wondering the same thing she was. _Now what?_ Atlanta had been the the plan. Kat hated to admit it to herself, but she didn't know what to do now. She was used to having a plan A, B or C when she went out with Leon. But they hadn't had time for that now. Everything had happened so suddenly. They had been taking things day by day. They hadn't had time to think about what they would do if the refugee camp in Atlanta had fallen. But she knew she had to keep her brothers safe. She didn't think she would be able to do that with the 5 of them camping out in tents or their cars every night, and 3 of them being children. She wanted to find them a house to hold up in. Someplace that they could secure.

Two hours had passed and it was dark out by now while Kat sat around the fire with her younger brothers. She heard a ruffling sound behind her and quickly turned around with her gun drawn until she saw Dylan's flashlight. She sighed, replacing her gun with her knife as he got closer.

"Not much, but it's better than nothing." Dylan said, sitting next to his sister. He had a pheasant in his hands while she had a squirrel. They cleaned the animals in silence while Sam got out the last of their water and filled everyone's bottles as much as he could.

* * *

"What are we gonna do?" Dylan quietly asked as he walked up to her around 2am. With the cars parked away from where their tents were, Kat had climbed into a nearby tree and was perched on a low branch. She just sighed and shook her head as she climbed down.

"I don't know." She said as she shrugged her shoulders. "I want to try and find a place we can stay in though. Maybe a house out in the country."

Dylan nodded. "As long as there's a water source around." It was Kat's turn to nod. Remembering they didn't have anymore drinking water.

"There's a creek near by. I saw it on the map. I'll go fill up the jugs tomorrow." Kat said as she stretched.

"You want me to come?"

"No, I'll go by myself. You hold thing's down here." Kat said. Dylan nodded. She placed a hand on his shoulder as she walked to her tent. Dylan climbed up the tree to take a seat on the branch she had been sitting on.

The next morning, Kat woke up to the sound of her brothers talking outside. She got up, grabbed her gun and put it in her drop leg holster on her right thigh. She slung her shoulder holster around herself with her small sidearm and combat knife, before putting her Ulaks into their sheaths on the small of her back, attached to her belt. She unzipped her tent and walked outside.

"Hey sis." Sam said as he looked up at his sister. They were sitting around the area they had made a fire the night before. Kat looked to her 3 younger brothers. She could hear Dylan moving around in his tent. She said hey to Sam and ruffled his hair as she walked towards the trail to the cars, out of view. She had to get into the trunk where they had the old milk jugs they kept water in.

The walk didn't take very long, it was only a few yards away from their campsite. She walked to her car and unlocked the trunk, taking the two empty jugs out before putting the trunk back down. She bent over to pick up the two jugs, but movement to her left in the woods stopped her. She heard the familiar moaning sound before she even turned around. She quickly unsnapped the button that held her combat knife in place and took it in her right hand. She spun around to see two zombies a few feet away making their way towards her. She closed the distance between herself and the first one, landing a spinning round house kick to its head, knocking it to the ground. She jumped over the fallen body and pushed her forearm into the second ones chest. She drove her combat knife upwards through its chin before pushing it to the ground. She turned around and stood over the one she had kicked, grabbing the back of its head as it tried to get up, and slammed her knife into its forehead before letting it fall back to the ground. She took a deep breath and stood up. A smirk came across her face as she held her knife in her left hand and walked over to the back of the car again. She picked up the two jugs and held the handles of both of them in her right hand as she walked back to camp.

Dylan raised his eyebrows at his sister who was walking back into view from the treeline around the trail, he saw the dark colored blood on her knife.

"You alright?" He asked as he gestured to her knife with his head while he was loading more bullets into their other clips.

"Yeah. No big deal." Kat shrugged her shoulders and sat down, indian style next to her brother and grabbed the rag out of his front pocket. She threw the jugs next to her and started wiping off her knife.

Dylan looked around him, seeing the younger boys in their tent several feet away from them. He lowered his voice. "How many?"

"Two...As soon as I get back with the water, we'll boil it then leave."

"I don't really want you going by yourself if there were two right around here." Dylan looked at her.

"I'll be fine, D, really. I don't go anywhere without my stuff." Kat smiled and patted her right thigh where her Beretta was. Safe and sound in its holster.

Dylan looked down and smiled. "Alright. Just don't take too long or we'll come after you." Dylan bumped into her with his shoulder.

Kat smiled and got up. She walked over to Dylan's tent and went inside to grab one of the maps he kept next to his cot. She walked back to the fire area and picked up the jugs while looking at the map.

"Looks like a little bit of a walk from where we are. I'll be back within an hour for sure. Maybe a little longer." Dylan looked up at her and nodded.

"Two hours. Be back by then."

* * *

He'd been tracking the deer he'd shot with his Horton for hours and the prints were heading in the direction of the stream he'd come across a couple times on this side of the woods. They veered off before they got there though. Something must've spooked it. He needed to fill his canteen anyway so he quietly continued forward. He'd be able to pick up the trail again easily, he knew where the tracks were now. But he froze in **his** tracks when the stream came into view. He saw a small figure in camo cargo pants and a black t-shirt kneeling down by the stream. But what stopped him, was her dark hair and the bright red ends she had pulled into a messy ponytail behind her head. It wasn't as vibrant as it was the last time he'd seen her. That had been weeks ago. But he'd know that hair. It was one of the things he had liked about her. Made her stand out. He wasn't sure he would ever see her again, to be honest. She must've came here for the refugee camp too. _Fuckin pipe dream._

It had been a 20 minute walk to the small creek. Kat had one jug already filled and was focusing on the other jug in her hands. She loved being out in the woods. She let her guard down for a minute and was just enjoying the sounds of the water rushing by until she heard a twig snap a few feet behind her. She let the jug fall from her and drew her gun from her drop leg holster while she quickly stood up and turned around.

"Whatcha doin pointin that thing at me?" A familiar southern drawl sounded as she turned around. He had a smirk on his face.

"Holy shit." Kat said, as she looked across the few feet between them and into the blue eyes she hadn't seen in a long time. She lowered her gun.


	8. Chapter 7: Tell It To The Frogs

**OMFG GUYS. ITS LETTING ME POST WHOLE CHAPTERS AGAIN. So here we go. No more of that nasty having to separate chapters into multiple posts. I'll probably go back and edit the last few chapters so they fit into their own chapter post. Or maybe not. I don't know yet. But anyway, here's 7.**

***I don't own anything other than my characters. Much to my dismay.***

**Maddy120296: **_Thank you, I'm glad you like it :) From interviews I've read/seen with Norman, he wants to play Daryl shy and awkward, like he wouldn't really know how to approach her and how to make the first move, so that's how I want him portrayed in this story. Kat is good at reading people and she gets that feeling about Daryl, so she doesn't try and push him. I didn't want them to be best friends before all this happened, I wanted them to not know much about each other and want them to get closer as this unfolds. So we can watch them grow. I can promise that makeout sesh will happen sometime ;P I just can't promise "soon". I really want to show their relationship building and them getting more comfortable enough to start caring more about each other. They'll stick a little closer to each other in the beginning more than around everybody else, b__ecause they knew each other. Because it feels_ familiar to them in this world now. But I think you will like the story regardless whether or not anything sexual happens between the two of them soonish :)

**Tell It To The Frogs**

* * *

"Daryl?" Kat said as she holstered her gun. She almost thought she was hallucinating. She was sure a lot of people had come here for the refugee camp, but she still couldn't believe she was staring at him. He had on what looked like a long sleeved thermal shirt but he had cut the sleeves off, making a tank top. She didn't blame him. She was sweating out here too. She couldn't tell if his shirt was tan because of the sweat and dirt he was covered in or if that was just the color it was. He had on a pair of loose fitting jeans and a crossbow slung across his back, a rope with squirrels on it over his left shoulder.

"What're ya doin way out here?"

"Atlanta." Kat said, turning around and bending over to pick up the water jug she'd dropped when Daryl came up behind her.

"That turned to shit." Daryl said, looking down so he wouldn't stare. He started playing with the strap to his Horton that was across his chest.

"Yeah, I found that out." Kat said, she knelt down, filling the jug up the rest of the way.

"The hell's all that?" Daryl said coming closer, looking at all the weapons she had on her. Failing at trying not to look at her bent over in front of him again. But the two curved blades that were hanging off a belt on her lower back, he didn't think he'd ever seen anything like them before from the looks of the sheaths they were in.

Kat sighed and stood up. "Walk me back to my camp. I'll tell you on the way. You aren't the only person that's found out what I really used to do lately."

"Ya by yourself?" Daryl asked. He remembered her brothers.

"No. They boys are at the campsite."

That made him feel better. He didn't like the thought of her being alone...Even though she looked capable with all the weapons she had. And the stories she told him on the way back made him believe that even more. Kat thought she'd scare him off but he only asked her more questions. She answered the ones she could and asked a few of her own. He told her about the group he had come across after they found out Atlanta had fallen. She could tell by the way he talked about them he didn't care much for them. But Merle was there. She kind of looked forward to his sexual harassment when she had come to the bar on the weekends. She knew it was all in good fun.

Daryl had forgotten all about the deer he had been tracking on the way back to her camp. He'd pick up it's trail later. Right now he was thinking about how close he finally was to her. He could hardly believe she was right next to him. Their arms kept brushing every so often as they walked. She had slipped into his dreams and thoughts more than once over the last few weeks.

"Daryl!" Sam yelled as he and Kat came out of the treeline. The younger boys got up from around the fire and started walking over to the two.

"Holy shit, man. I never thought I'd see someone I recognized again." Dylan said, wiping his hands on his pants. He had just finished taking all the tents down and packing them up.

"You guys leavin?" Daryl asked.

"Planned on it. We wanted to get away from here. Kat took out two of those things right around here a little bit ago." Dylan said. Daryl looked down at Kat. She was handing the jugs of water to the two youngest boys. Kaleb and Blake. He remembered their names, but couldn't tell them apart. They looked similar.

"Know where you're headin?" Daryl asked, looking back at Dylan. He just shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "Well, shit. Would've left with you guys after we went and got Merle. Why don't ya come back to where we are?"

"That sounds like a better idea. Daryl's with a larger group. More eyes could mean more protection." Kat said, looking between her brother and Daryl. She had just found him again, she didn't really want him to go away. Daryl knew that the cop who thought he was in charge might not like him bringing back 5 other people to look out for. But he didn't care. He wasn't going to leave them out here and never see her again. Hell, if he wanted them to leave, him and Merle would pack up and walk away with them. _Let those people starve to death_. Kat looked like her and her brothers had been doing good out here by themselves. They all looked fed and none of them were hurt. He knew he could take care of himself out in the woods without help. They'd be fine. He entertained that idea for awhile while the boys started boiling the water.

They all sat around the fire for a bit talking about what happened with one another after this had started. Daryl enjoyed sitting down for awhile. He woke up in a tree this morning since he decided to stay out hunting the day before. He told them about a hunting trip his father, uncle and himself were on the day it happened. Then having to go find Merle in a town near Ellijay. How Merle had sprang himself out of jail and was 'terrorizing the village'. They'd eventually made their way to Atlanta and found themselves in the same trap Kat and Dylan had almost walked into. He asked Kat if she knew how this started and why her people hadn't been around. She just shook her head. Saying his guess was as good as hers.

It was around noon when they loaded the water and tents into the back of Kat's car. They stood around, deciding what they would do. Over the weeks they had used a lot of their supplies they had brought with them. So everything was easily packed into the trunk of Kat's Avenger. They decided they would leave the Optima behind, so they siphoned the gas out of it's tank and put it into Kat's car. Daryl had showed Dylan on one of his maps where the camp was, telling him to drive the younger boys there and once they got there to tell the people they were friends of his. Because Kat was going with him to track down that deer. He told her he would just meet them there, but she insisted on going with him. He didn't fight her at all. He kind of wanted her to come along with him. On that, they parted ways.

He and Kat spoke in hushed voices every now and then. But she let him concentrate on the trail he was on, which he appreciated. He could've done it even with her talking to him, but he honestly didn't know what to talk about now. This wasn't a fun night out at the bar where they could ask each other how their week had gone or what they had done the day before. 'So what's the coolest zombie kill you've done lately?' didn't seem that appropriate either. He got the feeling she didn't really want to talk about her job anymore than she already had with him so he didn't ask anything else about it. Even though he was really curious. He could see why she was good at it though. She paid attention to everything around her, always looking ready to pounce if she needed to. This Kat looked nothing like the fun, care free girl he'd seen at the bar or the Robertson's store. She looked fierce. And he liked it. He had to keep glancing behind him every now and then to make sure she was still behind him. She was so quiet.

"'S headin in the direction of camp. Should be comin up on it soon." Daryl said when he glanced behind him again. She had her combat knife in her right hand at her side and nodded at him.

After a few minutes, they came to a steep hill that would lead them back to the campsite. Kat and Daryl both carefully made their way down the hill. Grabbing onto the thin tree trunks to help hold themselves upright on the way down. No longer being quiet with the noise they were causing trying not to tumble down the steep hill. With the rustling of leaves and twigs breaking, they made their way to the bottom. They carefully walked towards the tree line and out from behind the rocky outcrop into a small open area. Kat almost stumbled into Daryl as he quickly stopped in front of her. He must've been startled at seeing a gun trained on him for a minute. There was a group of 6 men with weapons pointed at them. She went to reach for her gun before she saw them lower their weapons at the sight of Daryl.

"Oh, Jesus." A man with a brown police cap said as he lowered his shotgun. This must've been the group he was with. She looked around quickly, taking in everything in front of her. She could see a decapitated body of what used to be a person and a dead deer with arrows sticking out of it. They looked like the one Daryl had loaded in his crossbow, so she felt it was safe to assume this was the deer he had been tracking. As they all lowered their weapons, Kat let her hand with her knife fall back to her side, still gripping the handle as she looked over the faces in front of her. Her eyes landed on one in particular that looked familiar in her workings with Leon.

"Rick?" Kat said. He had been a Sheriff in King County, Georgia.

"Agent Carsen." The cop said. Everyone looked between the two for a minute. Leon and Kat had come to the King County Sheriff's Department before to follow up on a nearby abandoned building a company had recently bought. Rick didn't know what Kat and Leon actually did. But the two agents knew of the company and wanted to know if the sheriff had any information or reports on what had been going on at the building. They just told him they were a suspected terrorist group, but didn't go into the details of what kind. Rick, Leon and Kat had only seen each other twice, months and months ago, but Rick had been very helpful towards the two agents. The reunion was interrupted as Daryl finally realized his deer had just been feasted on by the zombie on the ground.

"Son of a bitch." He said making his way into the clearing with Kat behind him. "That's my deer!"

The men in front of them backed away from the two, giving them more room in the small open area.

"Who's this Daryl?" A old man in a bucket hat said, looking to the pretty girl following the resident redneck.

"Look at it, all gnawed on by this filthy, disease-bearing, motherless poxy bastard!" Daryl said, kicking the zombie's torso multiple times, completely ignoring the old man's question. Kat raised her eyebrows and pressed her lips tightly together. She almost wanted to let out a little laugh at Daryl's behavior. She couldn't blame him though. He said he'd been after this deer since yesterday.

"Calm down, son. That's not helping." The old man said, looking at the decapitated body Daryl had just let out a little frustration on. But he wasn't done. He walked over, getting right into the old man's face. Leaving Kat a few feet behind him.

"What do you know about it old man?" Daryl said. The man in the police cap held the butt of the shotgun up between the two, trying to separate them. "Why don't you take that stupid hat and go back to 'On Golden Pond'?"

"Daryl." Kat said. He turned around and backed away from the man. Stalking over to retrieve his arrows that were sticking out of the fallen deer's body, he let out a sigh.

"I've been trackin this deer for miles. Was gonna drag it back to camp, cook us up some venison." Daryl said between pulling out the bolts. Kat noticed the guy with the shotgun raise his eyebrows and nod to Rick, who had a confused look on his face. He continued glancing back and forth between him and the dirt covered, crossbow wielding man in front of him. Had he not met Daryl yet or something?

"Whatta ya think, think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?" Daryl looked at the men, circling the part of the deer the zombie had eaten off of with the crossbow bolts in his hand.

"I would not risk that." The man with the shotgun said. Lazily hanging his arms over the gun he now had perched over the back of his shoulders.

Daryl let out another frustrated sigh. "That's a damn shame...I got some squirrel. About a dozen or so. That'll have to do." He said, grabbing the squirrel rope he had over his shoulder and tugging on it. They all looked around at each other but their attention was brought to the zombie head on the floor as it starting snapping it's jaws together. _No brain trauma._ Kat thought.

"Oh God." A young blond girl in the background had said with a look of disgust on her face as she turned and walked away with an older blond woman.

Daryl raised his crossbow and took a few steps over to the head. "Come on, people. What the hell?" He said as he took aim and let the bolt fly. Sending it downward, right into the head's eye socket. He stepped forward, grabbing hold of the end of the bolt and resting his foot on the zombie's forehead. It gave himself a little leverage to pull the bolt out. "It's gotta be the brain." He said as he started walking in the direction of camp. "Don't y'all know nothin?"

Rick brought his eyebrows together as Daryl passed him. They all looked in the direction of the hunter before they started walking.

"I'm Kat." She had said, walking next to the old man as the group followed Daryl into camp. "I'm, uh. I'm a friend of Daryl's." He put his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry." He said to her with a small smile. Causing her to let out a little laugh. They must've seen a lot of the Daryl Kat had just witnessed.

"If you're Kat, your brothers are here, safe and sound. They got here a little bit ago." One of the men said. He was a young Asian kid with a baseball cap on. Kat nodded and let out a sigh.

The camp came into view a few seconds later. Kat could see her car parked behind a red Dodge Challenger, next to a motorcycle she recognized as Merle's. Next to the Challenger was a Jeep, in front of it, an RV. The group fanned out a little more as the camp opened up. Kat started walking to her brothers who were standing by her car. The people at the camp were looking at the new arrival and throwing weird looks at Daryl. What was with everyone? He couldn't be that horrible.

"Merle!" Daryl yelled, walking past his brother's motorcycle and looking around. "Merle! Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrel! Let's stew em up." He said. Setting his crossbow down on a pile of fire wood. He started walking away when the man with the shotgun stopped him.

"Daryl, just slow up a bit. I need to talk to you." He said, putting the shotgun and his hat into the Jeep. Daryl slowed down and turned around. Giving one last once over around the camp, looking for his brother. _Must be takin a piss somewhere._

"About what?" Daryl said looking at the man, who was now walking towards him rubbing his mouth with his hand. Daryl took the rope the squirrels were hanging from off his shoulder and let them hang from his hand as he came to a complete stop.

"About Merle." The man said. Kat's face fell. She looked around at the people. All of them giving Daryl the same looks they were giving him before, but she understood them a little more now. Something had happened. "There was a, uh, problem in Atlanta." The man said.

Daryl looked around at everybody. Finally noticing them all staring at him. He looked at the ground before looking back to the man. He started pacing.

"He dead?" Daryl asked.

"We're not sure."

"He either is or he ain't!" Daryl raised his voice taking a step towards Shotgun Guy. Kat took a few steps away from her car, towards the scene that was unfolding. That was when Rick stepped forward.

"No easy way to say this, so I'll just say it." Rick said, walking up to the two men.

"Who are you?" Daryl looked at Rick. _So he must be new to the group too._ Kat thought as Rick came to stop a few steps to Daryl's side.

"Rick Grimes." The sheriff answered him.

"Rick Grimes." Daryl said sarcastically. "You got something you wanna tell me?" He looked like his temper was about to explode. Kat had a feeling this was going to be a little bigger than the zombie kicking fit he had just thrown a minute ago.

"Your brother was a danger to us all. So I handcuffed him on a roof, hooked him to a piece of metal. He's still there." Rick said, looking Daryl right in the eyes. Kat admired the man's honesty, even though he was about to get his head bit off. She sheathed her knife and snapped the button to hold it in place. _This ought to be good._

Daryl turned around. Kat could see him bring his hand up to his face but couldn't see what he was doing since his back was to her. He walked a few steps away from Rick. "Hold on. Let me process this." He made a gesture to his head with his hand as he turned around to face the two men. When he turned back around Kat could see he was dancing on a line between upset and angry. He must've brought his hand to his eyes to wipe at them. "You're sayin you handcuffed my brother to a roof. And you left him there?!" He yelled to Rick. Who looked at the ground in front of him then to Kat, who was a few feet away from the RV now, with her brothers next to her.

"Yeah." He answered. Daryl's face twisted in anger as he took a couple steps back. He took the rope of squirrels in his hand and threw them in Rick's direction, causing the sheriff to duck. Daryl lunged at him, but before he could make contact, Shotgun Man plowed into Daryl's side, shoulder first, sending him to the ground. _Oh shit._ Kat thought, stepping towards Daryl, who was now on his back a few steps from her on the ground.

"Hey!" A black man yelled, dropping a load of fire wood he'd been carrying. He rushed towards the 3 men. Daryl grabbed his hunting knife from the sheath Kat had helped him pick out over a month ago.

"Watch the knife." Kat heard one of the men say. She went to grab Daryl to stop him, but instead stopped herself. As much as she liked Rick, she'd be reacting the same way if it had been one of her brothers, so she let Daryl have at it for a minute. She'd stop him before he killed someone if she needed to. Daryl quickly got to his feet and swung his knife at Rick with a shout. Rick dodged it and took hold of his arm, pushing him back towards Shotgun Man. Daryl grunted as he tried to push Rick off. Shotgun took ahold of Daryl's shoulders getting ready to put him in a chokehold, as Rick disarmed him.

"Okay, okay." Shotgun Man said, trying to calm him down, one arm wrapped tightly around Daryl's neck, the other holding his head in place. Daryl's hand's flew up to the man's arms, trying to pull him off, causing Kat's own anger to spike.

"Hey!" She yelled, stepping further towards them. A few people in the camp looked at her, wondering what a 5 foot tall, petite girl like her was going to do in a fight with 3 grown men. Dylan put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a tug back towards him. He was more scared for the guy that had Daryl in a chokehold than he was about his sister. Rick leaned down and picked up Daryl's Busse TG, putting it in his own back pocket for now.

"You'd best let me go!" Daryl managed to yell.

"Nah, I think it's better if I don't." The man said. The hold he had around his neck, forced Daryl to sit on the ground, grunting and fighting the whole way.

"Chokehold's illegal." Daryl said.

"Yeah, you can file a complaint." Shotgun said, holding Daryl's head in place. "Come on man. We'll keep this up all day." _Who the fuck does this guy think he is?_ Kat thought shaking Dylan's hand off. Rick stepped forward and kneeled down in front of Daryl, who was breathing heavy now.

"I'd like to have a calm discussion on this topic. You think we can manage that?" Rick said, looking at Daryl who didn't even look at him. "Do you think we can manage that?" Rick repeated, getting closer. Daryl didn't give a yes or a no, but he wasn't fighting anymore. Rick looked up at his friend and nodded his head. Rick got up from his kneeling position. Shotgun jerked Daryl's head a little and threw him to the ground. Daryl propped himself up, putting an arm behind him. He brought his other arm up and pointed a finger at Shotgun who took a few steps back towards his Jeep. Daryl scooted himself away from the two of them. But Rick came forward, returning to his kneeling position next to the younger Dixon on the ground. Kat walked towards Daryl, pushing past Shotgun, purposely shoving him with her shoulder as she passed him.

"What I did was not on a whim." Rick said to Daryl, who was trying to catch his breath. He had lowered his other arm that was pointing at Shotgun when Kat had pushed him out of the way. He put both hands on the ground to his side, holding himself up. "Your brother does not work and play well with others." Rick continued. Daryl was looking at the dirt in front of him.

"It's not Rick's fault." The black man said, pulling their attention to him as Kat came up to stand behind Daryl. He looked behind himself at her before turning back to the black man. "I had the key. I dropped it." He finished.

"You couldn't pick it up?" Daryl said at him.

"Well I dropped it in a drain."

Daryl scoffed and looked to the ground beneath him. He was losing it again. He brought himself up on his hands and knees. Rick stood up and backed away. Kat grabbed ahold of Daryl's upper arm to help haul him up. He flinched a little at the contact at first, but relaxed when he realized it was her. Kat released him as soon as he was on his feet and he started walking towards the black man. "If it's supposed to make me feel better, it don't." Daryl said. He had a fist full of dirt from the ground in his hand and threw it at his feet as he came forward.

"Maybe this will. Look, I chained the door to the roof so the geeks couldn't get at him, with a padlock." The black man said. Daryl stopped a few steps from him. Shotgun and Rick stepped closer. Afraid he would lash out again.

"That's gotta count for something." Rick said from behind Daryl, causing him to turn and look at him, before turning back to the black man. Daryl brought his hand up to wipe at his eyes again.

"Hell with all y'all!" He yelled, making a swinging motion towards the 3 men. "Just tell me where he is. So's I can go get him." Daryl's voice cracked. Kat felt bad for him. Merle may not have been a likable guy sometimes, but he was still his big brother. Shotgun was rolling his eyes, making her want to go up and clock him in the mouth.

"He'll show you." A thin, pretty woman with long brown hair said. She was standing in the doorway to the RV, causing everyone to look at her. "Isn't that right?" She said, looking towards Rick, who was looking back at her. He looked around at everyone before nodding.

"I'm going back." Rick said. The woman turned and walked into the RV.

Daryl started walking away, towards one of the two areas they had set up for a fire. He leaned over, picking up his crossbow bolts and Horton he had set down a few minutes ago. Kat looked at Dylan and nodded towards the bag he had over his shoulder. He threw the bag she had her AR/Crossbow and bolts in, knowing what she meant. She was going with them. She caught it and walked over to Daryl, who sat down. Taking a seat next to him, she pulled it out of her bag and started loading the magazine for it with bullets. If they were going into Atlanta again and had no choice but to use it, she wanted it prepared just in case She had seen how many Undead there were in the city already.

Rick said they would leave in 20 and walked off towards his tent. Kat's brothers came up to her as Daryl kept eyeing her AR/Crossbow. The limbs were folded in so it just looked like an Assault Rifle to him, but the top of the barrel looked just like the top of his Horton. It had a groove that looked like it could hold a bolt and some sort of latch at the back that looked like it could hold a string. They sat there for a few minutes getting things around, talking every now and then. Kat was focusing on putting the bullets into the magazine, oblivious to the people looking at her. Eyeing the weapons she had on her. Probably wondering if someone as small as her could really do much damage with them.

"I'll go with you." Dylan said after awhile.

"No. You stay here, watch the boys. The less people we have with us, the better. At least, that's what I'd do. Too many people will draw too much attention." Kat said as she finished loading the magazine, putting it into the gun. She reached for her bag and pulled it to her, zipping it up. Daryl caught a glimpse inside and saw what looked like black bolts. _What the hell is that thing?_

"You're always going out by yourself." Dylan said.

"I won't be by myself." Kat looked at him.

"I got my eyes on her, Dylan." Daryl said. And boy, did he. Daryl stood up, looking around to make sure he had everything he thought he'd need to take with him. Rick still had his knife in his back pocket.

"Could you just tell me why?" She heard Shotgun say, who's name she learned to be Shane. Daryl had told her who several people were while they were sitting down. "Why would you risk your life for a douche bag like Merle Dixon?"

Kat looked up as Rick came up to her and Daryl, with Shane behind him.

"Hey, choose your words more carefully." Daryl said, pointing the arrows he had in his hand at Shane.

"No, I did. Douche bag's what I meant." Shane said looking at Daryl. Rick looked between the two men, before Shane turned his eyes back to his friend. "Merle Dixon," Shane said, "the guy wouldn't give you a glass of water if you were dying of thirst."

"What he would or wouldn't do doesn't interest me. I, can't let a man die of thirst, me." Rick said as Shane shook his head. "Thirst and exposure. We left him like an animal caught in a trap. That's no way for anything to die, let alone a human being." Rick walked away from Shane and closer to Kat and Daryl, who had sat back down next to Kat. He went back to cleaning off the arrows he had. Rick took Daryl's knife out of his back pocket and gave it back to the man.

"So you, Daryl and Kat, that's your big plan?" The skinny, brown haired woman asked. Lori, Rick's wife.

"She's more than capable. She's a Spec Ops Agent." Rick said. It was kind of the truth. Daryl looked at Kat, who looked back at him with a look on her face that said, _just go with it_. He felt a little privileged that he knew what she really was. He figured Rick would've known what she did if she knew him. They were both a sort of law enforcement if you looked at it like that. _Didn't they share that kinda information with each other? _

Rick turned and looked at Glen, the Asian kid with a baseball cap on.

"Oh, come on." Glen whined.

"You know the way. You've been there before, in and out, no problem. You said so yourself." Rick said. Glen took his hat off and ran his hand through his black hair before returning the cap to it's place. "It's not fair of me to ask, I know that. But I'd feel a lot better with you along. I know she would too." Rick said, looking back towards his wife.

"That's just great. Now you're gonna risk 3 of our men, huh?" Shane said.

"Four." T-Dog, the black man said.

Daryl scoffed. "My day just gets better and better, don't it?" He said, wiping off his bolts with his head down, looking up at Kat through his eyelashes.

"You see anybody else here stepping up to save your brother's cracker ass?" T-Dog said. Shane rubbed his eyes, annoyed at the turn this had taken and walked a few steps away.

"Why you?" Daryl said. Not even turning to look at the man.

"You wouldn't even begin to understand. You don't speak my language." T-Dog said.

"That's four." Dale, the old man with the bucket hat on said.

"It's not just four. You're putting every single one of us at risk." Shane said, turning back around and looking at his friend. "Just know that, Rick. Come on, you saw that Walker. It was here. It was in camp." _Walker._ Kat thought. She hadn't heard that one before. It had a ring to it. "They're movin out of the cities. They come back, we need every able body we've got. We need em here. We need em to protect camp."

"You've got 4 more 'able body' people. All of my brothers are one hell of a shot." Kat said, rolling her eyes at Shane. "There's your 4."

"Yeah and 3 of them are **kids**." Shane said looking at her, making the word 'kids' sound like the most horrible thing in the world.

"Yeah and I'd give the smallest one a medal for taking you down from 80 yards away. Because he could." Kat said, squinting at the man. Shane raised his eyebrows a bit at the tiny little girl sitting next to the redneck. Did she just threaten him? Daryl smirked a little, despite the situation. _Talkin back to a man twice her size n not even blinkin an eye._

"It seems to me what you really need most here are more guns." Rick said to Shane, pulling his attention away from the new arrival.

"Right, the guns." Glen said, a look of realization coming over his face. Kat brought her eyebrows together.

"Wait, what guns?" Shane said, looking just as confused.

"Six shotguns, two high-powered rifles, over a dozen handguns. I cleaned out the cage back at the station before I left. I dropped the bag in Atlanta when I got swarmed. It's just sitting there on the street, waiting to be picked up." Rick said.

"Ammo?" Shane asked.

"700 rounds, assorted."

Shane took a breath and a step back. He looked a little less angry at the thought of that many guns and that much extra ammo.

"You went through hell to find us. You just got here and you're gonna turn around and leave?" Lori said, looking at her husband.

"Dad, I don't want you to go." Carl, their son said, who was sitting next to his mother. Blake and Kaleb were sitting next to him around the second fire pit. Rick looked over to his wife.

"To hell with the guns. Shane is right. Merle Dixon? He's not worth one of your lives, even with guns thrown in." Lori said. Shane ran his hand through his hair as Rick walked towards her, making her stand up. "Tell me. Make me understand." She said.

"I owe a debt, to a man I met and his little boy." Rick started. Lori looked like she was about to argue but he cut her off. "Lori, if they hadn't taken me in, I'd have died. It's because of them that I made it back to you at all. They said they'd follow me to Atlanta. They'll walk into the same trap I did if I don't warn him." Lori just shook her head for a second, looking away.

"What's stopping you?" She asked him.

"The walkie-talkie, the one in the bag I dropped. He's got the other one. Our plan was to connect when they got closer."

"These are our walkies?" Shane asked, sitting on the front bumper of his Jeep.

"Yeah."

"So use the CB. What's wrong with that?" Andrea, the older of the two blonds said.

"The CB's fine. It's the walkies that suck to crap. Date back to the 70s, don't match any other bandwidth. Not even the scanners in our cars." Shane said. There was a pause as Lori understood what he was saying. There would be no other way for them to contact him. Rick looked at her just to clarify.

"I need that bag." He said to her. She sighed and looked away as he walked over to their son and kneeled down.

"Okay?" Rick said. Carl just nodded at his father, not saying anything. "All right." Rick said as he put his hand on Carl's head.

Everybody that was going started gathering up their stuff and piling into the back of a moving van they were using to drive back into the city with. Daryl hopped into the back of the van, Kat was behind him but turned to look at her brothers when she stopped at the back bumper of the van.

"Keep an eye on them. Help these people out if they need it." She said looking at Dylan. He looked at their 3 younger brothers and nodded.

"Stay safe." He said to her. She kneeled down to be eye level with her two youngest brothers.

"Remember what I said." Kat said to them. They both smiled a little.

"Aim for the head." Blake and Kaleb both said to her. She smiled and stood up. She messed up Sam's hair before standing up in front of Dylan again. She looked down and took her Beretta out of her holster to make sure it was fully loaded and had a round in the chamber. Dylan took the opportunity to look up at Daryl. He understood what he was asking and nodded to the younger man. He'd keep her safe.

"I'll be back." She said looking at Dylan, then to the 3 younger boys.

"We know." Kaleb said and smiled.

"Here." Blake said, stepping towards her, he was digging in his pocket for something. He pulled out his lucky rabbit foot keychain. It was from the first rabbit he had shot himself a few years ago. "It will keep you safe."

Kat took it from him with a little laugh. "Thanks buddy." She stuck the foot into her pack on her belt with her handgun clips. She smiled at her youngest brother.

"Blake, Kaleb!" Carl yelled, the two looked back at the boy before they both rushed to their sister, giving her quick hugs and I love yous before running in the direction of their new friend.

She shook her head and looked at Sam. "You help Dylan out, okay?" She said, he nodded.

"I'll make sure he doesn't screw anything up." Sam said pushing at his older brothers arm. Dylan just slung it around the younger boys shoulders as their sister turned around and looked up at Daryl. He put his hand out to help her up. She put her small hand in his as she put her foot on the bumper and he lifted her into the van. She was just as light as he remembered when he lifted her down from the bar that last night. And her hand was just as soft as it was the first time they learned each other's names. He wondered how it would feel on..._STOP._ He internally yelled at himself. _Your brothers cuffed up on a roof somewhere in the city tryin not to be eaten alive. Don't even think like that right now._ He shook his head as he let his hand fall. He walked over to the back of the moving truck, towards the front seats. She took a few steps away from the back as she watched her other brothers walk back towards the camp.

Rick and T-Dog had went to get tools from Dale to cut the padlock on the door Merle was behind and were taking their time talking. Daryl started pacing back and forth from the back of the van to the front, getting impatient. Kat just looked towards the men, leaning her back against the inside of the van with her hands behind her, holding onto the sheaths of her Ulaks. The conversation looked like it was coming to a close a few minutes later when Dale handed Rick the bolt cutters, but Daryl had run out of patience right that second. He reached one of his legs through the opening to the front of the van, over Glen's shoulder and planted his foot right on the steering wheel. Honking the horn a few times.

"Come on, let's go!" He yelled towards the men, turning around and walking to the open back of the van. He stood in front of Kat. A corner of her mouth pulled up and she shook her head. Rick and T-Dog made their way over to the truck. T-Dog climbed up into the back while Shane stopped Rick to talk to him. He gave his friend a few rounds he had for his gun after a small conversation, before Rick walked to the front of the van and got into the passenger's side. Daryl grabbed the handle and pulled down the hatch, shutting them in. The three in the back sat down as Glen started the van.

The drive to the city was mostly silent. Daryl was sitting in the corner behind Rick's seat facing the back of the van, T-Dog behind Glen's seat facing Daryl. And Kat was sitting a few feet in front of Daryl, her back to the wall. Daryl's feet were facing her but he was shooting glares at T-Dog every now and then.

"He'd better be okay. It's my only word on the matter." Daryl said raising his eyebrows at the man, after another dirty look. He was holding onto his crossbow that he had planted between his legs.

"I told you, the geeks can't get at him. The only thing that's gonna get through that door is us." T-Dog said to Daryl, who wiped some sweat off the corner of his mouth with a faded red handkerchief.

Kat could feel Glen stepping on the brakes and was greeted by the sounds of them squealing a bit as he pushed on them more. He brought the van to a stop before putting it in park and turning it off. Glen turned around to look at them. Well, Kat really. She was the only one he could see clearly from his angle. He could only see Daryl's legs and feet and couldn't even see T-Dog.

"We walk from here." He said. Rick opened his door as the 3 in the back stood up. Daryl lifed up the back hatch and hopped down. T-Dog followed close behind him and turned to help Kat as soon as he was on the ground. Earning another dirty look from Daryl, which neither of them noticed.

The 5 of them made their way over to a gate in the chain link fence around the train tracks they were parked at. They walked through the gate and continued down the tracks for a few minutes, before they followed Glen over to a hole in the fence. He had been using it to go in and out when he came for supply runs. He pulled the hole apart and held a side of the fence back as Rick climbed through, followed by Daryl, Kat, then T-Dog. Glen climbed through last.

"Merle first or guns?" Rick said as they climbed over the guard rail that was blocking the fence from the open area under the tall bridge that was above them.

"Merle! We ain't even havin this conversation." Daryl said, walking around Rick.

"We are." Rick said, looking at Daryl before turning behind him to Glen. "You know the geography. It's your call."

Glen came up beside Rick and started walking. "Merle's closest. The guns would mean doubling back. Merle first." He said as they made their way to the department store. They wanted to make it quick and as quiet as they could.

There had been one Walker at the back entrance of the store they needed to be in. Kat quickly dispatched it when she took one of her throwing knives out of the sheath that was attached to her brown leather shoulder holster. The sheath holding the small blades sat just on top of her right shoulder. She had grabbed one and sent it flying right into the thing's head before it even knew they were there. The 4 men looked at her, impressed. It had to have been over 30 feet away. She quickly looked around making sure there were no more and she made her way to the downed Walker, the men right behind her. She bent over and pulled the small knife out of it's forehead. She wiped it off on her camo cargo pants and put it back in its sheath with the other 11 as Glen opened the door and peered in. There was nothing right inside so he opened the door, letting everyone inside. The 5 of them quietly moved around the store. Making their way to the back where the stairs were.

They were walking into a clothing area when Rick put up his hand, signaling the others to stop. He looked towards Daryl and pointed ahead of them at another Walker. Daryl held his Horton in front of him and stepped around Rick. He crouched down and quietly made his way closer to the zombie, who was making low, growling sounds.

"Damn." He said as he brought the stock of the crossbow to his shoulder and looked through the red dot laser sighted scope. "You are one ugly skank." Daryl pulled the trigger as the Walker saw him and started moaning louder. The arrow went right through it's forehead. As soon as it hit the ground they were moving again. Daryl stood over it and pulled his bolt from it as the others came around him. He flung the blood off of it towards the floor as he looked down at what used to be a woman. He looked up as Kat passed him and fell in step behind her.

Glen led them to the back and they threw the door to the stairs open, Rick looked in first making sure it was clear before making a beeline to the stairs. He ran in, followed by Glen, then Daryl, Kat, and T-Dog last. The 5 of them quickly made their way up the stairs. Whatever Walkers may have been in here before were long gone. The stairway was quiet.

They got to the top floor outside the roof and Rick grabbed at the padlock, giving it a shake, causing the chain around it to rattle. It was still secure. He looked behind him at T-Dog who had the bolt cutters. The man stepped forward, locking them down on the shackle and squeezing them together. With a snapping sound the lock broke. Rick grabbed the chain and quickly pulled it away from the door as everyone stepped back. Daryl kicked at the door, making it swing open.

"Merle!" He yelled as he ran through the open door, followed by the rest of them. "Merle!" He ran across the slightly raised catwalk to the other side of the roof. Kat was now behind Rick and T-Dog who were a few feet behind Daryl. Glen was behind her. Daryl jumped down the couple steps from the catwalk to the roof, but T-Dog and Rick stopped before the stairs. They all looked to where they had left the older Dixon as Daryl started screaming.

"No! No!" He shouted as he started pacing, not even bothering to hide his tears this time. Daryl turned and looked up at T-Dog, who didn't know what to say. He just looked back to the scene in front of them. Rick and Glen couldn't even look at him. Daryl was pacing once more and started yelling again. He just kept repeating the same thing over and over between sobs. "No". Kat pushed her way around Rick and T-Dog and stopped on the steps. She couldn't take her eyes off what she was seeing, either. The handcuffs were right where Rick must've left them, chained to the pipe. But where Merle had been sitting was an old, rusty hand saw, a pool of blood, and sitting next to it under the cuffs, a dismembered hand.


	9. Chapter 8: Vatos

_as per request from a couple pms I got, I included the story from the people back in camp since Kat's brothers are there. Not just Daryl and Kat's side of the story. It still won't include everything all the time, but will give you something more to read :) If any of you are like me, I like a nice long story. And I promise this will be just that. This is the longest chapter yet so enjoy. xo_

**Vatos**

* * *

Kat didn't know what to do. She stepped off of the remaining catwalk stairs onto the floor of the roof, the men following behind her. They were all still staring at the scene in front of them that was getting closer with each step. Rick and T-Dog walked around her so they were on her left, Glen still hanging back behind her. Seeing his hand laying on the ground was too surreal. She had liked Merle, as unlikable as he could be at times. He could be a real asshole when he wanted to be but was Daryl's brother. _Daryl._ They had formed a half circle around him. He had stopped screaming by now but was still upset and pacing. He was breathing heavy. With a shout, he spun around, bringing the stock of his Horton to his shoulder and aiming it right at T-Dog, who was standing behind him. Rick, on Daryl's right, reacted fast, holding his Colt Python revolver up to Daryl's head, pulling the hammer down. Kat and Glen just stood there, off to Daryl's left, for a second. _No quick movements_. She didn't want this to spin out of what little control they had left. She slowly inches closer to Daryl, her hands slightly raised. He could see her out of the corner of his eye. He spared her a quick glance before he locked eyes with T-Dog again. Daryl's breath was labored. He was teetering on the edge of tears again. The 3 men stood there for a few more seconds. Rick's gun to Daryl's head, Daryl's crossbow at T-Dog's.

"I won't hesitate. I don't care if every Walker in the city hears it." Rick said to Daryl, who still refused to look away from T-Dog. Kat who was now close enough to touch him raised her arm up. She put her hand on Daryl's forearm, which caused him to tense up, and gave his arm a gentle push downward. Silently asking him to lower his weapon from the man. He hesitated for a moment before his face twisted in sadness again and he let his arms fall down. His crossbow, in his right hand, he let rest against his leg. He looked to the ground in front of him as T-Dog let out a breath he'd been holding. Rick released the hammer on his gun as he brought it back to his side. Daryl brought his eyes back up to the man in front of him. He blinked the tears from his eyes as he looked at T-Dog.

"You got a...Got a do-rag or somethin?" He asked him. T-Dog reached to the side of his cargo pants, pulling up the velcro pocket on the side of his thigh and reaching inside. He pulled out a blue bandanna and handed it to Daryl, who shook it out. He walked forward, setting his crossbow up against the pipe his brother had been cuffed to. He let out a breath and kneeled down in front of the hand. _Merle's hand._ Kat could hardly imagine it as such. Daryl laid the bandanna out flat on the ground. He was quickly processing in his head what must've happened.

"I guess the, uh, saw blade was too dull for the handcuffs." Daryl said to the group, as he picked up Merle's hand by it's pinky finger. He held it up, looking at it for a minute. "Ain't that a bitch." He said, before laying it in the middle of the bandanna and began folding it up as he let out another deep breath. The 3 other men all looked away in various directions, not knowing how to handle what had happened. Daryl stood up and turned around, quickly looking at the 4 behind him. Glen was the one with a bag around his back so Daryl walked towards him. Daryl gave a _come here_ motion with his hands as he got closer to the young man. Glen took a couple steps forward letting out a breath as Daryl pushed on the back of his shoulder. Making him turn slightly so he could open up the backpack. T-Dog ran his hand over his smooth, shaved head, as Daryl closed the backpack his brother's hand was now in. Glen had a look of mild disgust on his face for what was now resting in the bag he would be carrying around for the remainder of the trip. Daryl walked back towards the handcuffs, picking up his crossbow and scanning the area. This was tracker-Daryl now.

"He musta used a tourniquet, maybe his belt. Be much more blood if he didn't." He said, following the trail of blood across the roof. Kat started following him while the others stood there looking at each other for a moment. Rick nodded to them before he led the other 2 men to follow Kat. T-Dog climbed over the pipe to his right, going to grab Dale's tools that had been left behind the day before with Merle. He grabbed the box and slowly started following Glen.

Kat followed Daryl to an open door on the other side of the roof, still following the trail. Daryl brought his crossbow back up to his shoulder before walking in. Kat unsheathed her combat knife and held it ready in her right hand while reaching behind her and pulling the serrated Ulak out of its sheath behind her back. She held it in her left hand in front of her while she made her way inside behind Daryl. Rick was behind her with Glen and T-Dog. They all slowly made their way into the small employee locker room and out another door that was left open, leading to stairs. Daryl was the first to slowly make his way down the first few steps.

"Merle?! You in here?!" He shouted, leaning over the rail, looking to the floor below.

"Shhh." T-Dog said as he entered the room at the end of the group. Everyone followed Daryl down.

As they got to the bottom, they came to a door that was slightly open. Daryl pushed against it with the stirrup of his crossbow, opening it the rest of the way. He looked around the room with Kat peeking around him. This must've been the employees part of the building. The following rooms were offices. Kat whispered behind her to Rick, telling him to take the other men and go through the door on their left to check the rooms there as they made their way around. Kat and Daryl would continue forward through the rooms ahead and meet up with them. He nodded and held his Python at the ready as the 3 made their way to the door. Kat and Daryl walked forward and over to the door in front of them. They pushed it open. Empty. Aside from the desk and few couches in the room with papers scattered everywhere. They slowly made their way to the next room. There was one Walker in the room ahead. Hearing the door creak open, it turned around towards them. It had been a woman once, but the lower half of her jaw was missing. All that hung there was shredded, rotting flesh now. Daryl pulled the trigger and sent the bolt he had loaded flying right to it's target. Daryl walked forward to retrieve his bolt as Kat looked around the room behind them. He made his way to the open door and found himself in a hallway. Kat came up to his side as Rick and the others rounded the corner. With all of them regrouped, they continued down the hallway. Peeking into open rooms as they passed them. They were still following the trail of blood.

As they came through a walkway at the end of the hall, they entered what looked like an employee lounge area. They passed by the desk at the front and went to their left, further into the room, noticing the dead Walkers on the floor.

"Had enough in him to take out these two sumbitches." Daryl said walking past the first body. "One handed." Kat stepped over the first dead body, towards the second and noticed a bloody wrench on the floor.

"Toughest asshole I ever met, my brother." Daryl said as he set his crossbow down. Stepping on the stirrup to hold it in place, he drew the string back to the latch with a low grunt. "Feed him a hammer, he'd crap out nails." He said, lifting his Horton back up and sliding a bolt into the groove. Rick looked around the room before walking forward.

"Any man can pass out from blood loss. No matter how tough he is." Rick said, looking quickly at Daryl before continuing past the bodies.

****Camp****

Dylan had finished setting up their three tents across from the Dixon brothers' area and was standing next to Lori, when he heard Morales.

"Oh, baby. Will you look at that? Hey, check it out." Morales said. Amy and Andrea, the blond sisters were making their way back into the camp with two big messes of fish. The man laughed.

Andrea held out her batch of fish to the man with smile. Lori, who was sitting around one of the fire pits with Carol, mending clothes, started clapping at all the fish the two had brought back.

"Ladies, because of you my children will eat tonight. Thank you." Morales said.

"Thank Dale. It's his canoe and gear." Andrea said, giving a high five to Jacqui. Amy put a bottle of water up to her mouth and did a little happy dance, wiggling her hips. Dylan pulled his mouth into a half smile at her, which she returned with a wink.

"Mom, look! Look at all the fish." Carl said, coming up to the dead fish with Blake, Kaleb and Sophia behind him.

"Yeah. Thank you." Lori giggled, trying to duck out of the way of the fish as Morales swung them around, showing them off.

"Whoa." Carl said as he got closer. He poked one of the fish with his finger.

"Ew! Don't touch it." Sophia said with a disgusted look on her face as she walked over to Sam who was standing by his older brother.

"Yeah, whoa. Where did you two learn to do that?" Lori asked, looking over at the blond girls.

"Our dad." Amy answered with a smile.

"Can you teach me how to do that?" Carl asked with an excited look on his face.

"Sure. I'll teach you all about nail knots and stuff. If that's okay." She said, leaning over to look at Lori.

"You won't catch me arguing." The mother said, eyebrows still raised at all of the fish.

"Well damn. We'll have to go fishing sometime." Dylan said in Amy's direction. She looked at him with a smile and bit her bottom lip a little.

"Hey, Dale. When's the last time you oiled those line reels?" Andrea said to the older man who was making his way back into camp. "They are a disgrace." Morales held up the two bunches of fish to show the older man.

"I, uh, I don't want to alarm anyone," Dale said. Shane got up from his seat he had in the doorway of the RV and made his way over to the group. "But we may have a bit of a problem." He pointed up the hill that led to the camp from the quarry and everyone could see Jim in the distance. He was digging. Like he had been for the last few hours.

****Atlanta****

Daryl looked to the ground and led them on the path Merle had left for them. The bleeding had slowed slightly by now, but was still enough that they had a trail to follow. They made their way through the lounge and through a break room before coming up to another opening. The blood was now easier to see on the tile flooring. They stopped in the walkway ahead before going any farther. Daryl peeked in, crouched down.

"Merle!" He yelled. Kat was standing behind him. Rick came up beside him and leaned towards Daryl.

"We're not alone here. Remember? " He said quietly before glancing in the room they were about to walk into. It looked like a kitchen area.

"Screw that." Daryl said, making sure the area of the room to his left was clear before walking in. "Could be bleedin out. You said so yourself."

They made their way into the kitchen. Kat's eyes saw the flickering of a flame on the stove top a couple seconds before Daryl's did. It was also where the trail of blood ended. Sitting on the stove were several Sterno fuel canisters Merle must've lit when the stove didn't work. Next to them on the counter were dirty pots and pans and a belt. The group came closer to the flames. Rick picked up a piece of metal that had blood and bits of burnt debris on it. Kat and Daryl came up beside him as Glenn and T-Dog hung back. Glenn looked around Rick to see what he was holding.

"What's that burned stuff?" He asked. Rick was staring at the piece of metal in his hand.

"Skin." He answered. "He cauterized the stump." Looking over at Glenn, who looked away. Rick set the object back on the counter.

"Told you he was tough." Daryl said looking to Rick. He quickly glanced back to the fire before looking towards the Sheriff again. "Nobody can kill Merle but Merle." Kat shifted and stepped back, sheathing her serrated Ulak behind her.

"Don't take that on faith. He's lost a lot of blood." Rick said, looking to the splatters of red that were on the counter, belt and floor in front of them. Daryl turned and looked around. He spotted something off to his left and started walking again, going further into the kitchen.

"Yeah? Didn't stop him from busting out of this death trap." He said, the others following him over to a broken window at the end of the room. He leaned down looking outside. There was a fire escape out the window that led to the street down below.

"He left the building?" Glenn said coming up behind Rick. "Why the hell would he do that?"

"Why wouldn't he?" Daryl said. T-Dog leaned around Rick to get a better look at the window. "He's out there alone as far as he knows. Doin what he's gotta do. Survivin."

Rick stuck his head out the window as Daryl talked. There was no sign of Merle other than the bloody towel that was left outside of the window. Daryl turned around and walked away from the window, looking around the small pantry room in the back.

"You call that survivin? Just wanderin out in the streets, maybe passin out? What are his odds out there?" T-Dog said, looking at Daryl.

Daryl turned around and headed back into the kitchen with the others, looking at T-Dog. "No worse than bein handcuffed and left to rot by you sorry pricks."

T-Dog looked away from the hunter as Glen rubbed his eyes. Daryl turned around and looked at Rick who was behind him, slightly in front of Kat.

"You couldn't kill him. Ain't so worried about some dumb dead bastard." Daryl said.

"What about 1,000 dumb dead bastards? Different story?" Rick said, raising his eyebrows at the hunter.

"Why don't you take a tally? Do what you want. Ima go get him." Daryl said before going to walk past Rick. Rick put his hand on Daryl's chest to stop him.

"Daryl, wait." He said as he pushed him a couple feet back.

"Get your hands off me! You can't stop me." Daryl said, getting in the cop's face. They were inches from each other. Glen looked to Kat and mouthed 'Shit_'_ before returning his gaze to the face off.

"I don't blame you. He's family, I get that. I went through hell to find mine. I know exactly how you feel." Rick said to him. There was a short pause as he let that sink in."He can't get far with that injury. We could help you check a few blocks around but only if we keep a level head."

Daryl stared at the cop for a second. "I could do that." Rick nodded and looked over to T-Dog, who had taken a seat on a cart.

"Only if we get those guns first. I'm not strollin the streets of Atlanta with just my good intentions, okay?" The black man said holding his hands up.

"He's right." Kat said, causing Daryl to look at her next over Rick's shoulder. "If we're gonna be walking around in the streets, each of us should have a weapon we can take care of them with quickly if we get in a jam." Rick nodded his head.

"Let's get out of here and work up a plan." Rick said to the group. They all walked out the back door of the kitchen and continued through the building.

****Camp****

Everyone in camp, except for Morales' wife, their 2 kids and the 2 younger Carsen boys, made their way up the hill across from the quarry trail. Shane and Dale were in the front, leading. As they came up to the clearing they could see Jim. He was sunburnt and digging away. Not paying the large group in front of him any bit of attention. He was soaked in sweat and his hands were blistered, but he didn't stop. Shane put his hands in his pockets and just looked around for a minute. Giving Jim the opportunity to acknowledge him. When he didn't, he stared back at the man for a second and spoke up.

"Hey, Jim." Shane said, looking at the man. No response. Just the sound of the metal spade hitting dirt, again and again. "Jim, why don't you hold up, all right? Just give me a second here, please."

He finally stopped and stood up straight. He held onto the shovel's wooden shaft, standing it up next to him and looked towards the Deputy. "What do you want?"

"We're all just a little concerned, man. That's all." Shane said.

"Dale says you've been out here for hours." Morales said, coming up behind Shane. Jim looked back and forth between the 3 men in the front of the group.

"So?" He said.

"So why are you digging?" Shane asked. Jim just looked to the ground and wiped the sweat away from his mouth. "Are you headin to China, Jim?" Shane chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

"What does it matter? I'm not hurting anyone." Jim said, picking the shovel back up and going back to his task.

"Yeah, except maybe yourself. It's 100 degrees today. You can't keep this up." Dale said.

"Sure I can. Watch me." Jim lifted another shovel full of dirt out of the ground and set it in a pile next to the hole he was digging, before doing it again. Everyone in the group looked at him with concerned faces. There were several other holes already around the whole area. Lori stepped forward, standing between Dale and Shane.

"Jim, they're not gonna say it so I will. You're scarin people. You're scarin my son and Carol's daughter." She said, causing Jim to stop once again.

"They've got nothing to be scared of." Jim said, looking towards Carl and Sophia who were standing back with Carol. She had Sophia's hand in hers and her arm around Carl's shoulders. Lori just shrugged and raised her eyebrows at the man.

"I mean, what the hell, people? I'm out here by myself. Why don't you all just go and leave me the hell alone?" Jim said, spreading his arms to his sides, referring to the area around him that had been unoccupied before they came up. He began digging again. Shane looked to his left at Dale and Lori before looking back to Jim.

"We think that you need to take a break, okay?" Shane said, taking a few steps towards Jim, who was still a good 4 feet away. "Why don't you go and get yourself in the shade? Some food maybe. I'll tell you what, maybe in a little bit I'll come out here and help you myself." The man didn't stop. "Jim, just tell me what it's about. Why don't you just go ahead and give me that shovel?"

Jim stopped and held the shovel in place next to him as he looked at Shane. "Or what?"

"There is no or what. I'm asking you. I'm coming to you and I'm asking you, please. I don't wanna have to take it from ya."

"And if I don't, then what? Then you're gonna beat my face in like Ed Peletier, aren't ya?" Jim said, causing Shane too look at the ground for a minute. Causing everyone to think back to what had happened earlier that day by the quarry after the others left for the city. The women were washing clothes when Ed started causing trouble. It turned violent when he slapped his wife, Carol, across the face, making Shane grab the man and throw him to the ground, beating the crap out of him. Ed came back to camp and went straight to their tent. His face covered in blood and the start of a nice black eye forming.

"Y'all seen his face, huh? What's left of it." Jim raised his voice, addressing everyone in the group. "See, now that's what happens when someone crosses you." He said, leaning towards Shane.

"That was different, Jim." Shane looked at the man, who started digging again.

"You weren't there. Ed was out of control. He was hurting his wife." Amy said from behind Dale and Morales.

"That is their marriage! That is not his!" Jim said, raising his voice again as he stopped. He pointed in Carol's direction as he spoke to Amy. Carol put her arm around Sophia's shoulders as she turned her daughter away from the man. "He is not judge and jury! Who voted you king boss, huh?" Jim said, looking to Shane again.

"Jim, I'm not here to argue with you, all right? Just give me the shovel, okay?" Shane said, closing the distance between them. He walked to Jim and started reaching for the shovel as Jim held it back behind him, out of the officer's reach.

"No, no, no." Jim said, taking steps backward, but Shane kept coming, reaching for the shovel.

"Please, just give me the—Jim!" Shane shouted as the man pushed him away. Jim brought the shovel in front of him again. Holding it with both hands, he took a swing at Shane with it. The deputy ducked out of the way as the shovel cut through the air where his head had been a second earlier. Before Jim could bring the shovel to his side again to wind up for another swing, Shane tackled him to the ground.

"Okay, shh shh. Stop, shh." Shane said, laying on the man's side as he tried to turn him to his stomach.

"You got no right! You got no right!" Jim shouted. Shane got the man to turn onto his stomach as he kneeled above him. He brought Jim's hands around his back.

"Jim, just stop it. Hey hey hey hey hey." Shane said, trying to restrain the man.

"Don't!" Jim yelled, his face against the ground.

"Jim. Jim, nobody's gonna hurt you. You hear me? Shhh." Shane said as Jim started sobbing. "Jim, nobody is gonna hurt you, okay?" The man stopped struggling but Shane got his handcuffs out and started to cuff the man.

"That's a lie. That's the biggest lie there is. I told that to my wife and my two boys. I said it 100 times. It didn't matter. They came out of nowhere. There were dozens of em. Just pulled em right outta my hands." Jim said as he looked up at Lori. No one had heard the mechanic's story yet. "You know, the only reason I got away was cause the dead were too busy eatin my family." The man let out a breath and closed his eyes. Lori brought her hands up to cover her mouth. Dylan had subconsciously put his arm around Sam's shoulders and pulled him a little closer to him.

****Atlanta****

"You're not doing this alone." Rick said to Glenn. He was standing in front of a desk with his hands on his hips looking down on the floor at the young Asian man. They had made their way into a computer lab.

"Even I think it's a bad idea and I don't even like you much." Daryl said. He had his butt against the edge of the desk next to Rick and was leaning forward, his hands on his knee and crossbow in front of him, holding himself up. Kat sat on top of the desk across from him, while T-Dog sat on the floor to her right, facing her. His back against the desk Glenn was next to on the ground. Glenn looked up towards Daryl and then to Rick.

"It's a good idea, okay, if you just hear me out." Glenn said. Rick looked at the young man and kneeled down next to him. He had drawn out a small block by block map of the area the guns were at on the tile floor of the lab. "If we go out there in a group, we're slow, drawing attention. If I'm alone, I can move fast. Look." Glenn said to the sheriff, he grabbed a large black, plastic paper clip and set it down on the floor on his drawing, in between a couple squares. "That's the tank, five blocks from where we are now...That's the bag of guns." He said as he took a rolled up piece of sticky note paper and set it in front of the tank. "Here's the alley I dragged you into when we first met." Glenn said, he pointed a block away from the tank down the street that was supposed to be the alley. He looked to the hunter. "That's where Daryl and I will go."

"Why me?" Daryl asked. Looking up from Glenn's map to the young man.

"Your crossbow is quieter than his gun." Glenn said, nodding at Rick. Daryl scrunched his face up for a second before letting it fall again. _Oh...Right._ He was too busy thinking about how dumb this was to think of the obvious reason. Glenn looked back to his map after grabbing a page marker and setting it down where Daryl and him would be. "While Daryl waits here in the alley, I run up the street, grab the bag." He said as he made a line back to the tank and bag with his finger.

"But you got us elsewhere?" Rick said, looking at Glenn.

"You and T-Dog, right." Glenn said, grabbing a big pink eraser and placing it on the map. "You'll be in this alley here."

"Two blocks away? Why?"

"I may not be able to come back the same way. Walkers might cut me off. If that happens, I won't go back to Daryl." Glenn said, pointing to the places on the map while he talked. "I'll go forward instead, all the way around to that alley where you guys are. Whichever direction I go, I got you in both places to cover me."

"What about me?" Kat said from her place on the desk. She had turned away from Daryl to face the map on the floor when Glenn started talking. She had brought her knees up to her chest with her arms over them, her Beretta in her right hand.

"You'll be in this alley, next to me and Daryl. Making sure we have a clear path back to the lab. Afterwards, we'll all meet back here." Glenn said, placing a highlighter cap marking Kat's location in another alleyway on the block next to Daryl's location. Kat nodded. She admired that he told them he'd be better by himself. She was the same way. She didn't like being slowed down and a big group would do that. It used to be her job to be quick and she acted alone unless on missions with Leon. A like-minded individual that never got in the way, only helped.

"Hey, kid, what'd you do before all this?" Daryl said, looking between Glenn and his plan on the floor.

"Delivered pizzas. Why?" Glenn said, pulling his eyebrows together. _Makes sense. He'd needed to figure out the fastest way to get around before._ Kat thought with a smirk. Rick and Daryl both raised their eyebrows.

After they had all gotten to their positions, Daryl and Glenn made their way towards their alley using the rooftops. Once there, they went down an emergency ladder to get to the alley. After they were both on the ground, Daryl swung his crossbow around to the front of him as they walked towards the street. Crouched down, they both quickly moved in between two dumpsters at the street's entrance. There was a chain link fence that was about nine feet tall. Stretching from the ground, up, it closed off the alley from the street. But the side of it have been lifted from the asphalt so it could be swung either way to get in and out, since the gate was securely locked.

Daryl drew the string on his Horton back as Glenn removed his open, short sleeved button down shirt so he was left in only his dark blue t-shirt.

"You got some balls for a Chinaman." Daryl said as he held his crossbow up.

"I'm Korean." Glenn said to him as he eyed the opening in the fence for any Walkers.

"Whatever." Daryl said to him as he pulled a bolt out of the crossbow's quiver and loaded it. Glenn quickly went over to the fence. He leaned out of the opening and looked both ways down the street before darting out. He stayed crouched down and moved quickly, car to car, using them as cover. Much like Kat and Dylan had done in their trip to Atlanta earlier that day. Glenn slowed his pace slightly as he let a Walker stroll past the car he was behind before running down the rest of the street. He dove over some sandbags next to the tank and hid behind them.

Back in the alley, Daryl was squatting in between the two dumpsters with his back to one of them, still facing the fence Glenn had gone through. He heard the quiet sound of a paper being stepped on several feet behind him and quickly spun around with his crossbow at the ready. He looked down the sights at a young Hispanic man.

"Whoa, don't shoot me! What do you want?" The boy said.

"I'm lookin for my brother. He's hurt real bad. You seen him?" Daryl said, not lowering his Horton.

"Ayúdame!" The kid yelled loudly out towards the street behind Daryl.

"Shut up! You're gonna bring the geeks down on us. Answer me."

Back out on the street, Glenn reached the bag that was several feet in front of the tank. He was making his way back towards the sand bags, but quickly groaned and turned around to grab Rick's Sheriff hat. As he bent over to grab it, a Walker spotted him and started towards him. He picked up the hat and turned around, darting quickly around the sand bags and around the corner that would lead down the street to Daryl's alley.

"Answer me." Daryl said to the kid in front of him.

"Ayúdame!" He yelled again. "Ayúdame!"

Rick and T-Dog heard the screams from their position and started running towards the back entrance of Daryl's alley, knowing the fence was at the front. Kat too heard the screams from the next block over and started the same way. But her path was blocked by two Walkers.

"Ayúdame!" The kid yelled again. Daryl brought his Horton back and swung the stock of it across the boy's face, sending him flying backwards on the ground. He started to scream again but the sound was muffled by Daryl putting his hand firmly on the kids mouth.

"Shut up. Shut up." Daryl kept repeating as the kid kept moving and trying to yell. Just then, two older Hispanic men entered the alley through the fence opening behind Daryl. They rushed him from behind, the bigger of the two kicking at Daryl's back causing him to shout out in pain and drop his crossbow. The force of the kick caused him to roll a couple feet away from the boy. The other Hispanic man ran over to him with a baseball bat and started beating him as the other man came up and kicked him over and over again. Daryl kept grunting and shouting in pain with every hit from the bat and kick to the ribs.

Glenn ran into the alley from the gate to see the beating Daryl was being given and stopped in his tracks. He was starting to back away to return to the street when the man with the baseball bat spotted him.

Kat was running at the Walker closest to her as she grabbed one of her throwing knives and sent it flying into the one behind it about 20 feet away. She unsheathed her hidden blade and grabbed the one in front of her by its shoulders. Putting her weight into it and driving the blade through its head, she sent it falling backwards on the ground, her legs braced at its sides. She quickly got up and ran towards the one she hit with her throwing knife. She leaned over to grab it as she ran past.

"Thats it. That's the bag, vato. Take it! Take it!" The Hispanic man with the bat yelled to the bigger man. Who turned and lunged at Glenn. Glenn turned around and tried running for the fence but he was too late. The man grabbed Glenn by the back of his shirt causing him to turn around and have a fist to the face, sending him to the ground. He dropped the bag and Rick's hat. The man with the baseball bat had come up and was now hitting him in the back with the bat to keep him on the ground as the bigger guy grabbed the bag. They were too distracted by Glenn and the guns in front of them to see Daryl scooting his way over to his crossbow behind them. He brought himself up on a knee and held himself up with one of his hands as he held his crossbow towards the men. He sent the bolt flying and hit the man with the bag right in the ass, causing him to yell out in pain and drop the bag. He reached behind him as the other man turned around. Daryl loaded another bolt in record time and took aim again as he kneeled up, but the man with the baseball bat had hauled Glenn up and was holding him in front of him as a shield. The man that was already impaled wasn't even concerned with the bag full of guns anymore. They pushed the fence open more as a car pulled up in front of it.

"Get off me! Get off me!" Glenn was yelling as he was being dragged out into the street with the 2 men. The car was drawing in even more Walkers than all the noise already had. "Daryl! Daryl! Daryl!" Glenn was yelling as they got closer to the car. Daryl got to his feet so he would have a better shot but it was too late. The 3 had got inside as the car was surrounded by Walkers.

Kat was at the alley and could see Rick and T-Dog running at her down the street. She rounded the corner at the back of the alley and started running towards Daryl as she saw a car pull quickly pull away, tires squealing. She saw a young man lying on the floor obviously in pain and bleeding from his mouth as she heard Daryl yelling.

"Come back here, you sumbitches!" He yelled as he grabbed onto the fence with his free hand. Kat ran up beside him as the Walkers turned towards the fence. She and Daryl grabbed onto the fence and hauled it back towards them to shut themselves into the alley before any of them could get through the opening.

Rick and T-Dog were in the alley quickly running towards them as Daryl and Kat backed away from the fence and spun around. The young man Daryl had smacked in the face with his crossbow was getting to his feet, still a little wobbly. Daryl ran at the boy with a shout that Kat almost thought sounded like a growl and pushed him, causing him to stumble backwards. Daryl was getting ready to come at him again as Rick put himself between the two. He put his free hand up towards Daryl, he had his Python in the other.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Stop it!" Rick yelled as he put his forearm across Daryl's chest, his hand gripping his shoulder as he pushed him away from the boy. Rick continued pushing Daryl backwards because the man kept coming at him. Kat stepped out of the way so he wouldn't push Daryl right into her.

"I'm gonna kick your nuts up in your throat!" Daryl yelled and pointed at the boy as he tried to push back against Rick. T-Dog put his hand against the boy's chest and pushed him against the wall of the alley.

"Let me go!" He yelled, pushing against T-Dog's muscular arm.

"Chill out!" T-Dog yelled at him and pushed him back against the wall harder.

"They took Glenn. That little bastard and his little bastard homie friends!" Daryl shouted as he still tried to get around Rick, who kept his grip on Daryl's shoulder, taking a fist full of his shirt just to keep a hold of him. Rick looked back behind him towards T-Dog and the boy. "I'm gonna stomp your ass!" Daryl yelled and pointed at the kid over Rick's shoulder. Rick tried to back into him again as he pushed forward. The man almost became superhuman when he was pissed off, he'd give him that. Rick was having a hard time containing him.

"Guys! Guys! We're cut off!" T-Dog yelled and with his free hand, pointed to the fence behind the other 3. Rick turned back around to look behind Daryl to see the Walkers piled against the fence. He turned back to T-Dog and pointed his gun down the alley.

"Get back to the lab. Go!" Rick said.

"It's clear, hurry up!" Kat said as she quickly walked past Daryl and Rick towards T-Dog. T-Dog grabbed the boy by the arm and the 3 of them started running down the alley back towards the computer lab. Rick released his hold on Daryl and holstered his revolver as he turned around to grab the bag of guns.

"Come on. Damn, let's go." Daryl said as he looked to Rick. Rick stopped and turned around to pick up his hat before they turned and ran down the alley to catch up with Kat, T-Dog and the boy.

****Camp****

Lori and Carol were sitting a small table in camp with Sophia and Carl. They continued to make the kids do school work during the days to make them feel 'normal'. Dylan and his brothers sat back behind them on a log next to one of the tents. He wasn't going to make them suffer any more than they already had to and make them do math problems on top of everything that was happening now. He was cleaning his Long Rifle as he felt Kaleb tug on his t-shirt sleeve.

"Dylan, why did Shane tie him to a tree?" Kaleb whispered to his older brother while he looked at Jim, who was staring off into space.

Dylan glanced up at the man before looking back towards his gun. He didn't agree that the Deputy had tied him to a tree like an animal and voiced his opinion on the matter when they got back to camp. But Shane did nothing but scoff at the young man.

"Cause he's an asshole." Dylan said, loud enough for Lori and the others in front of him to hear. Lori didn't even look up but Carol shot him a disapproving look since there were younger children present. Dylan gave her a half smile which she returned. She had taken a liking to the edgy, oldest Carsen boy. He rolled his eyes and looked back at his rifle as he saw Shane walking towards Jim with a bucket. Dale was behind him, his rifle slung over his shoulder like it had been since they arrived at this camp. Jim was sitting on the ground, his legs spread out in front of him. He still had his hands cuffed behind him, but since that apparently wasn't enough for Shane, around his chest and under his arms was a rope, tied around him and the tree a couple times. Shane bent over and kneeled down next to him causing Jim to look at his face.

"Jim, take some water?" Shane said as he pointed down towards the bucket in front of him between his feet.

"All right." Jim nodded.

"Yeah? All right." Shane gave the man a slight smile as he reached into the bucket and pulled up a cup that was filled up with water. Jim looked ahead of him at the table Lori, Carol and the kids were sitting at.

"Here you go, bud." Shane said as he brought the cup up to Jim's lips so he could drink, being that his hands were still cuffed behind him. He gladly drank the water down, not realizing how thirsty he had been.

"Pour some on my head?" Jim said as he pulled his mouth away from the cup.

"Yeah." Shane dipped the cup back into the water to fill it up again. "Cooling you down, huh?" Shane said as he poured the cool water over the man's head.

"Yeah." Jim nodded a little. "How long you gonna keep me like this?"

Shane raised his eyebrows. "Well, yeah." He looked away from Jim for a minute, bringing his eyebrows together before looking back at the man. "Until I don't think that you're a danger to yourself or others." Jim looked back in front of him at everyone.

"Sorry if I scared your boy and your little girl." Jim said to the mothers. Shane looked over his shoulder at them.

"You had sunstroke. Nobody's blamin you." Lori said as she looked over at him.

"You're not scared now, are ya?" Jim said, looking at the children.

"No sir." Sophia looked at him. Shane looked back to Jim, but he was looking at Carl.

"Your mama's right. Sun just cooked my head is all."

"Jim, do you know why you were digging?" Dale asked looking down at him. "Can you say?"

"I had a reason. Don't remember." Jim said, looking at the old man. Dale nodded at him as Shane stood up. "Something I dreamt last night." Dale nodded again as Jim looked back over towards Carl and spoke up a little. "Your dad was in it. You were too. You were worried about him. Can't remember the rest...You worried about your dad?"

"They're not back yet." Carl said shaking his head. It had been hours since the small group had left for the city.

"We don't need to talk about that." Lori said, rubbing Carl's back and nodding to Jim.

"Your dad's a police officer, son. He helps people. Probably just came across some folks needin help, that's all. That man, he is tough as nails. I don't know him well but...I could see it in him. Am I right?" Jim said, looking towards Shane at the end.

"Oh yeah." He said, looking back down at Jim.

"There ain't nothin gonna stop him from getting back here to you and your mom, I promise you that." Jim said, nodding at him. Lori gave him a smile.

"All right. Who wants to help me clean some fish, huh?" Shane said as he picked up the bucket and turned around to face the group behind him. He started walking into the camp more as Carl got out of his seat.

"Sweet! Come on, Sophia." He said as he and Sophia both got up and ran after Shane. So excited that they could get out of school work, Carl stumbled a little but quickly got up to catch up with the man.

"Stay with Carol, all right?" Lori said putting her pencil down and looking back towards the kids. Carol got up out of her seat and followed after them.

"Go with them. You already know how, you can show em the ropes." Dylan said to his younger brothers. "Stay with Carol." The three younger boys got up and walked with the woman into camp. Lori got up and walked over to Jim, kneeling down next to him. After a few seconds, Jim looked at her.

"You keep your boy close. You don't ever let him out of your sight." He said to her. Lori nodded and stood up. She walked back into camp as Jim turned towards the forest again, staring out into the trees.

****Atlanta****

"Those men you were with, we need to know where they went." Rick said to the boy. They had him sitting in a chair behind one of the desks in the corner of the room. T-Dog was leaning on the right side of the desk as Rick stood to the left of it. Kat was leaned against the wall behind T-Dog. They were back in the safety of the lab for now. Although, Kat wasn't sure how safe it was in here for the boy, with Daryl pacing back and forth in front of the desk like a caged animal. His eyes glued to the kid in the chair.

"I ain't tellin you nothin." The kid said, as he wiped a bit of the blood off of the corner of his mouth with his thumb. Daryl had to have knocked a couple of his teeth loose.

"Jesus, man. What the hell happened back there?" T-Dog said looking at Daryl. Daryl's eyes were locked on the kid.

"I told you, this lil turd and his douche bag friends came out of nowhere and jumped me." Daryl said, still pacing back and forth in front of the desk. Walking in a line behind Rick, then to T-Dog's side. Over and over.

"You're the one who jumped me, puto, screaming about trying to find his brother like it's my damn fault." The boy said. Rick took a seat on the edge of the desk.

"They took Glenn. Coulda taken Merle too." Daryl said as he made his way back to Rick's side of the desk.

"Merle? What kinda hick name is that? I wouldn't name my dog Merle." The kid said looking at Daryl. _He picked the wrong time for a smart ass remark._ Kat thought. Rick was a little more prepared for Daryl's outburst this time. He'd gotten to know Daryl's temper quickly over the past several hours. As soon as Daryl grabbed the sheriff's shoulder in an attempt to get around him, Rick stood up and grabbed at Daryl's sides trying to push him back. Daryl kicked at the kid's face but Rick pushed him away far enough that his boot didn't make contact and the kid ducked out of the way.

"Damn it, Daryl. Back off." Rick said pushing the younger Dixon back in front of the desk. The kid sat up in his chair again. Daryl looked at him for a second before walking over towards Glenn's book bag. He opened up the top of it as Rick put his hands on his hips. _Oh god, he isn't._ Kat thought as she stood up straight from the wall behind T and took a few steps to the front of the desk. Daryl reached into the bag and pulled out the blue bandanna. _He is._

"Wanna see what happened to the last guy that pissed me off?" Daryl said, unwrapping the dismembered hand. The kid looked to his left at Daryl, but couldn't see what he was doing since his back was towards him. Daryl looked at Rick and glanced at Kat as she came up next to the sheriff, then he turned around. He held his brother's hand in his palm as he walked over to the kid and threw the hand down in the kid's lap. The kid looked down and saw what had just landed on his legs and pushed it away, getting up from the chair with a scream. He fell backwards in his hurry and pushed himself as far away from the hand as he could, which was only a few feet, before his back hit the metal cabinets behind him that were against the wall. Daryl quickly went over to the kid and grabbed him by the front of his tank top on either side, pulling him up a bit.

"Start with the feet this time." He said as he got closer to the kid's face. Rick was walking over to the 2. He came up behind Daryl and grabbed his shirt as he yanked him up off the kid. He pushed Daryl back behind him and put his arm out, silently telling him to stay put. He quickly backed up a few more feet with the leftover force Rick had pushed him with and bumped into Kat who stumbled backwards a little. Instinctively, Daryl put his arm out behind him to steady her. Rick looked back to the kid who was eyeing Daryl now with fear in his eyes. The sheriff knelt down next to him.

"The men you were with took our friend. All we want to do is talk to them, see if we can work something out." Rick said to the kid. He wasn't as cocky as he was before and nodded his head. They spent the next few minutes talking about where their hideout was and how to get there.

Rick had the kid leading them as the went through the streets. They came to the back of a brick building awhile later. Rick looked around the wall they were hiding behind towards the building. He didn't see anyone outside but that didn't mean no one was looking.

"You sure you're up for this?" Rick said, looking up to T-Dog who was standing across from him holding a rifle at the other side of the broken window they were looking through.

T-Dog nodded at him. "Yeah."

"Okay." Rick said as he loaded the shotgun he was holding onto. T-Dog picked up the bag of guns and took it with him as he walked away from the others.

"One wrong move, you get an arrow in the ass. Just so you know." Daryl said, looking down at the kid they made sit on the ground in front of them.

"G's gonna take that arrow out of my ass and shove it up yours. Just so **you** know." The kid said, quickly looking to Daryl who was leaning against the wall to the boy's left. Rick looked at the kid.

"G?" He asked the boy.

"Guillermo. He the man here."

"Okay then." Rick said as he cocked the shotgun. "Let's go see Guillermo." He looked up to Daryl and Kat and stood up slightly from his kneeling position. The kid rose to stand up and follow, with a kick in the butt from Daryl. Rick made his way through the broken bars that once were over the window to the courtyard they were walking into. Rick climbed through and onto wooden pallets they had under the window before hopping down them to the floor. The kid came through after him, followed by Daryl. Daryl looked behind him as he stood up from the window to see Kat come through. Rick motioned for the boy to walk in front of him as Daryl and Kat both hopped down from the pallets and followed Rick. They all had their weapons raised as the boy led them through the yard and to the large, wooden double doors at the back of the brick building. As they came to a stop several feet away from the door, they heard locks being undone seconds before the creak of a door. Kat had her AR held to the back of the boys head while Rick and Daryl had the shotgun and crossbow on the man that walked into the yard. There were several other men surrounding the door's entrance but they didn't walk out just yet.

"You okay, little man." The Hispanic man, who they assumed was Guillermo, asked the kid.

"They're gonna cut off my feet, carnal." The boy said, making Kat smirk.

Guillermo looked to Rick, who had on his Sheriff's get up. "Cops do that?" He asked.

"Not him. This redneck puto here." He said as he turned and pointed behind him to his right at Daryl before turning back to Guillermo. "He cut off some dude's hand, man. He showed it to me." The kid whined.

"Shut up." Daryl said. Two men made their way out of the building, and Daryl recognized them as the two that beat him earlier.

"Hey, that's that vato right there, homes. He shot me in the ass with an arrow, man. What's up, homes, huh?" The bigger man Daryl had shot said as he came out of the building with his small handgun aimed at Daryl.

Guillermo put his hand on the man's arm to lower his gun. "Chill, ese, chill. Chill." He looked back to Rick. "This true? He wants Miguelito's feet? That's pretty sick, man."

"We were hoping more for a calm discussion." Rick said.

"That hillbilly jumps Felipe's little cousin, beats on him, threatens to cut off his feet, Felipe gets an arrow in the ass and you want a calm discussion? You fascinate me."

"Heat of the moment. Mistakes were made on both sides." Rick said.

Guillermo looked around to the small group in front of him. "Who's that dude to you anyway? You don't look related."

"He's one of our group, more or less. I'm sure you have a few like him." Rick answered him, motioning with his head to the men behind Guillermo, still inside the building.

"You got my brother in there?" Daryl asked.

"Sorry, we're fresh out of white boys. But I got Asian. Interested?"

"I have one of yours, you have one of mine. Sounds like an even trade." Rick said.

"Don't sound even to me." Guillermo said.

"G." Miguelito, the boy, said. "Come on, man." He said, a pathetic, pleading smile on his face.

"My people got attacked. Where's the compensation for their pain and suffering? More to the point, where's my bag of guns?"

"Guns?" Rick said.

"The bag Miguel saw in the street. The bag Felipe and Jorge were going back to get. That bag of guns."

"You're mistaken."

"I don't think so."

"About it being yours. It's my bag of guns."

"The bag was in the street. Anybody could come around and say it was theirs. I'm supposed to take your word?...What's to stop my people from unloading on you right here and now and I take what's mine?" Guillermo said as the two men beside him raised their guns at Rick's group again.

"You could do that." Rick said. He looked to his left to the roof of a building that had a view of the courtyard, causing Guillermo to look in the same direction. On top was T-Dog, staring at Guillermo through the scope of the rifle he had. "Or not."

Guillermo smirked at Rick. "Oye!" He yelled, leaning his head up slightly. On cue, there was movement on the roof of the brick building they were all in front of. As they looked up, they could see 2 men leading a struggling and blindfolded Glenn to the edge of the roof. As they got right to the edge, one of the men pulled the bag off of Glenn's head. Glenn started whimpering and breathing fast behind the duct tape that was over his mouth as he realized where he was. He took a few quick steps backward, but the 2 men held him in place.

Rick looked at Kat as Guillermo spoke up.

"I see two options...You come back with Miguel and my bag of guns, everybody walks. Or you come back locked and loaded, we'll see which side spills more blood." He said.

"It'll be you." Kat said, looking back up at a terrified Glenn.

Guillermo looked at her, then up to where T-Dog was again with a smirk and shot his eyebrows up once, as he backed his way into the building, the 2 men outside with him doing the same. None of Rick's group dropped their weapons, even as the doors were closing. Once they were shut and they heard a lock they made their way back over to the window.

The group made their way into a nearby mechanic shop and were in a small office. Rick set the bag of guns on the desk and unzipped it fully.

"Them guns're worth more than gold. Gold won't protect your family or put food on the table. You willin to give that up for that kid?" Daryl said, standing in front of the desk Rick was behind, who was checking one of the handguns to see if it was loaded. Rick didn't say anything. He just continued pulling out guns.

"If I knew we'd get Glenn back, I might agree." T-Dog said, with his back against the wall on the side of the desk. He looked up at Rick who was in front of him. "But you think that vato across the way is just gonna hand him over?"

"You callin G a liar?" Miguel said. They had him sitting on the ground again next to T-Dog, a small chair between the 2 of them.

"Are you part of this?" Daryl raised his voice as he stepped closer to the boy. He slapped Miguel upside the head. "You wanna hold onto your teeth?" He said leaning towards him, bracing himself against the wall with one hand before standing up straight again and backing away. T-Dog looked at the two for a second before turning back to Rick.

"Question is, do you trust that man's word?" T-Dog asked.

"No, question is what you're willin to bet on it?" Daryl said, coming to stop in front of the desk again. He leaned his back against the wall in front of the window next to Kat. "Could be more than them guns. Could be your life. Glenn worth that to you?"

Rick checked to make sure his Python was loaded before he put it back in it's holster as he looked at Daryl. "What life I have I owe to him. I was nobody to Glenn, just some idiot stuck in a tank. He could have walked away, but he didn't. Neither will I."

"So you're gonna hand the guns over?" Daryl said as he pushed himself off the wall again.

"I didn't say that." Rick said, he looked at Daryl, Kat and then T-Dog. "There's nothing keeping you 3 here. You should get out, head back to camp." He said as he went back to the bag.

"And tell your family what?" T-Dog said as he closed his eyes and ran a hand over his head before looking to the sheriff. Rick looked at him, then Kat and finally Daryl. There was a pause as the men looked at each other Daryl, with a brief nod to Rick, leaned forward and grabbed a shotgun. T-Dog got up from his seat and did the same.

"I'm in." Kat said as she came forward.

"Come on, this is nuts." Miguel said as he stood up. He was quickly stopped when Daryl turned around and pointed at him, causing him to sink back down to the floor. He sat back down and held his head in his hands before looking back up to the group. "Just do like G says."

No one listened to him, they continued taking the guns out of the bag and making sure they were all loaded. They each grabbed what guns they could carry and loaded the rest back in the bag before they put a rag around Miguel's mouth and tied his hands together behind his back.

They made their way into the yard once again, with Miguel leading them. Only this time he was bound and gagged and Daryl had the barrel of the shotgun he was holding at the center of the kid's back, pushing him forward. T-Dog and Kat were on his left and Rick was on his right, the bag of gun's over his shoulder. They were stopped in front of the door again before they heard the locks being undone and the door opening. Daryl pushed Miguel inside when they were opened all the way, then the group followed in after him. Daryl, T-Dog and Rick all had a shotgun in their hands as Kat had both her Beretta and Smith & Wesson in each of hers. Daryl also had a handgun tucked into the back of his pants and one in the front. They walked to the middle of the room and were surrounded by men on all sides as Guillermo walked up to greet them.

"I see my guns...but they're not all in the bag." He said as they met in the middle of the room.

"That's because they're not yours. I thought I mentioned that." Rick said as he pointed his shotgun at him.

"Let's just shoot these fools right now, ese. All right? Unload on their asses, ese." Felipe said who was at Guillermo's side.

"I don't think you fully appreciate the gravity of the situation." Guillermo said.

"No, I'm pretty clear." Rick said, looking away for a moment as he lowered his gun and reached to his side to pull out his pocket knife. He flicked it open and stepped towards Miguel and cut the bind that held his hands together behind him. Once it was cut, he put a hand on the kid's back and pushed him forward towards Guillermo. "You have your man. I want mine." Rick said, as he put his pocket knife away.

"I'm gonna chop up your boy." Guillermo said, stepping closer to Rick. "I'm gonna feed him to my dogs. They're the evilest, nastiest man-eating bitches you ever saw. I picked em up from Satan at a yard sale...I told you how it has to be. Are you woefully deaf?"

"No, my hearings fine. You said come locked and loaded." Rick said, the group cocked their shotguns and aimed at different men in the room as Rick aimed right at Guillermo's head. "Okay then, we're here." All of Guillermo's men raised their guns at the group and the room was filled with the clicking of hammers being pulled down and shotguns being cocked.

A few tense seconds passed, none of them lowering their weapons, when the sound of an old woman's voice met them.

"Felipe! Felipe!" The old Hispanic woman said, coming into the room.

"Abuela, go back with the others, now." Felipe said.

"Get that old lady out of the line of fire!" Daryl said.

"Abuela, listen to your m'hijo, okay? This is not the place for you right now." Guillermo said, glancing behind him at the old lady in a nightgown and sweater with finger-waves and pin-curls in her hair.

"Mr. Gilbert is having trouble breathing." The old woman said, who came to stop in front of Felipe and looked up at him. "He needs his asthma stuff. Carlito didn't find it. He needs his medicine."

Guillermo looked back at Rick, his big bad plan obviously falling apart right in front of them. He turned to Felipe. "Felipe, go take care of it, okay? And take your grandmother with you." He quickly said to the man.

Kat let out a laugh. Felipe started speaking in Spanish to the older woman as he tried to lead her away, but she was fixated on the group of people everyone was looking at.

"Who are those people?" She asked as she pushed Felipe's hand down. She made her way around Guillermo and walked up to Rick. Felipe was still speaking in Spanish trying to lead her away.

"Don't you take him." She said, coming up to Rick.

"Ma'am?" Rick said as he looked down at her.

"Felipe's a good boy. He have his trouble but he pull himself together. We need him here."

Rick looked around the room for a second before turning back to the old lady. "Ma'am, I'm not here to arrest your grandson."

"Then what do you want him for?"

"He's...helpin us find a missing person. Fella named Glenn."

"The Asian boy? He's with Mr. Gilbert. Come. Come, I show you. He needs his medicine." The old lady said, grabbing Rick's hand and leading him past Guillermo.

Guillermo sighed as Rick walked past him. He looked around at his men. "Let em pass." He said as he looked at the ground. All of his men lowered their weapons and backed off as the group followed Rick. The old lady led him through the building that looked like a garage and back outside. They passed through a small courtyard and went up a small fleet of concrete stairs before she led them around the side of another building. They went up to the front doors and walked inside to what looked like some sort of hospital. Each room they passed they could see older people inside, with hospital equipment.

"Abuela, por favor. Take me to him." Felipe said, coming up to Rick's side. She let go of Rick's hand and continued down the hallway with Felipe behind her. Rick stood in the doorway of one of the rooms for another second, looking at a girl helping an elderly woman drink a cup of water. They had all lowered their weapons by now. Rick removed his hat from his head as they followed Felipe and his grandmother down the hall. After passing several more rooms with people inside they came into a large open room. The cafeteria. A bunch of people were surrounding an old man who must've been Mr. Gilbert.

"All right. All right." Felipe said to the old man as they got closer. "Nice and easy. Just breathe. Just breathe. Just let it out. Just breathe." Felipe brought the inhaler to the old man's mouth. Rick looked to Glenn who was standing around with the people looking at Mr. Gilbert.

"What the hell is this?" Rick asked Glenn.

"An asthma attack." Glenn said, not knowing Rick was referring more to the building they were in rather than what was happening to the old man. "Couldn't get his breath all of a sudden."

"I thought you were bein eaten by dogs, man." T-Dog said, looking at the young Asian man.

Glenn looked behind him towards a leopard print dog bed with pink interior. Inside were three small Chihuahuas. The one in the middle just looked and barked at them.

"Satan's dogs, huh." Kat said, and looked at Guillermo with raised eyebrows.

Rick turned around and looked at him. "Could I have a word with you?" He said as he leaned in towards the man. "You're the dumbest son of a bitch I ever met. We walked in there ready to kill every last one of you." They walked away from the crowd of people, back towards Kat and Daryl.

"Well, I'm glad it didn't go down that way." Guillermo said, looking up at Rick.

"If it had, that blood would be on my hands."

"Mine too. We'd have fought back. Wouldn't be the first time we've had to. Protect the food, the medicine, what's left of it. These people, the old ones, the staff took off, just left em here to die." Guillermo said. Rick stopped and looked around at all the people in the room. "Me and Felipe were the only ones who stayed."

"What are you, doctors?" Rick asked.

"Felipe's a nurse, a special care provider. Me, I'm the custodian."

Rick looked at the man for a minute. Guillermo told his group to follow him into a room so they could talk more privately.

They all walked into the room as Guillermo sat down on the arm of a couch. Rick took the bag of guns off his shoulder and set it on the couch next to it.

"What about the rest of your crew?" Rick asked.

"The vatos trickle in to check on their parents, their grandparents. They see how things are and most decide to stay. It's a good thing too. We need the muscle. The people we've encountered since things fell apart, the worst kind. Plunderers, the kind that take by force."

"That's not who we are." Rick said. Kat and Daryl leaned against either side of the door they came in from. Glenn standing in front of the wall a few feet ahead of Daryl.

"How was I to know? My people got attacked and you show up with Miguel hostage...Appearances."

"Guess the world changed." T-Dog said from his spot in a chair against the wall across from Glenn.

"No. It's the same as it ever was. The weak get taken. So we do what we can here. The vatos work on those cars, talk about getting the old people out of the city. But most can't even get to the bathroom by themselves, so that's just a dream. Still, it keeps the crew busy, and that's worth something. So we barred all the windows, welded all the doors shut except for one entrance. The vatos, they go out, scavenge what they can to keep us going. We watch the perimeter night and day and we wait. The people here, they all look to me now. I don't even know why." Guillermo said, shrugging his shoulders at the cop.

"Because they can." Rick said to him. Rick was a good judge of character when it came to people, and he could tell this man had a good heart. He was only trying to keep his people safe, just like he was. He handed the shotgun he still had in his hands to Guillermo. He took it from him as Rick leaned over to the bag of guns and started pulling more out.

* * *

The sun was setting as the 5 of them that originally left the tracks that afternoon were finally walking back over to the hole in the fence. The had the guns, or at least some of them, but they failed the other half of their objective. They didn't have Merle. Kat could tell Daryl wasn't happy about **it** or the fact Rick had given away some of the guns and ammo.

"Admit it, you only came back to Atlanta for the hat." Glenn said to Rick as they all were walking under the tall bridge that led to the hole in the fence.

"Don't tell anybody." Rick said.

"You've given away half our guns and ammo." Daryl said, not even bothering to take part in the attempt to lighten the situation.

"Not nearly half." Rick said to him.

"For what? Buncha old farts who're gonna die off momentarily anyhow? Seriously, how long you think they got?"

"How long do any of us?" Rick said as they made their way around the bus that would give them a view of the fence their van was parked behind. Only they all stopped in their tracks when the van was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh my God." Glenn said.

"Where the hell's our van?" Daryl said, looking around the area the van had been parked, near the tracks.

"We left it right there. Who would take it?" Glenn said.

"You left the keys in it? Really?" Kat whined next to Daryl.

"Merle." Rick said. Everyone looked at him.

"He's gonna be takin some vengeance back to camp." Daryl said, glancing towards Rick before looking down at Kat. _This is gonna be a long walk._

****Camp****

Dylan was sitting at the table in the RV with his and Kaleb's handguns in front of him. He had a box of bullets on the table and was loading the empty clips he'd grabbed out of Kat's bag that she left behind. Andrea was in the RV looking through all the drawers next to Dylan in the kitchen area. He gave her a confused look as Dale walked in.

"Wrapping paper, color tissue, anything?" She said, looking at the old man.

"Seriously?" Dale asked as he set his rifle up against the side of the chair Dylan was sitting in.

"How can you not have any?" She said, looking in the cupboard above the sink.

"Had I been informed of the impending apocalypse I'd have stocked up." Dale smiled at her.

"It's Amy's birthday tomorrow. I've been marking days on the calendar just to make sure." Andrea said as she pulled out the necklace she had got her younger sister the day before on the groups trip into Atlanta.

Dale put his glasses on and picked the necklace up to inspect it. It was on a simple gold chain and hanging from it was a golden mermaid.

"You don't give a gift unwrapped." Andrea said to him, shrugging.

Dale looked back at her with a smile. "Deep breath. I'm sure I'll find something here." Dale said as he walked to the small closet across from the bathroom. "Dylan, would you look around in the back for me, son?"

"Sure thing." He said as he put the clip in his hands down and squeezed his way around Dale in the small space.

Out in the main area of camp around the fire pits later on, some of the group was setting up all the chairs they had around one of the pits.

"I, uh, built up the rocks all around. See? So the flames can be a little higher and have em be hidden." Morales said, smiling proudly at his idea.

Shane was walking away from them with Carl, towards Jim, who was still tied to the tree. It had been hours now.

"Hey, Jim. How you feeling, man?" Shane said as he walked closer to the man. Kneeling next to him as he reached him.

"I'm better. More myself now." He said.

"I hope you understand the need for this, this timeout. I mean, I've got others I've got to think about and, I just want to make sure there's no, uh, there's no hard feelings."

"There's not. I do understand."

"Okay." Shane said with a chuckle. Jim briefly smiled at him. "Why don't you come join in with the rest of us. Big ol' fish fry." Shane said. Carol and Lori were already cooking up the fish over the fire with what they could. The sun was low in the sky now and they wanted to get it done with the light they had left.

Jim looked over Shane's shoulder at Carl with a smile, "I'd like that very much." Carl nodded at him, smiling.

"Okay." Shane said as he stood up and walked around the tree to cut the rope before uncuffing Jim.

Rick and his group were on the gravel and dirt road that led up to the quarry area that the camp was in, but it was still almost 2 miles before they would get there. The sun was even lower in the sky by now, only giving off the last bit of light it could before it would disappear over the horizon. The 5 of them were running back to camp, all panting from the long run they'd already done out of the city to get to where they were now. It would be about 20 more minutes before they would reach camp. They just hoped it wouldn't be too late.

* * *

Everyone sat around the fire enjoying the fish and beer. The sun had been down for a little while now.

"Pass the fish, please." Sophia said.

Carol grabbed the pan of fish that Dylan handed to her and held it to Sophia. "Here you go."

"Man oh man, that's good." Shane said as he let out a breath and laughed. "I miss this." Everyone was passing the pans of fish around, making sure everyone got some. Dale had some spices in his RV that the women had used, so it was delicious.

"I've got to ask you, man. It's been driving me crazy." Morales said to Dale with a smile from across the fire.

Dale smiled back at him as he rested the side of his face against his closed hand. "What?"

"That watch." Morales said, pointing to Dale's wrist. Dale took his hand away from his face to glance at the wrist watch he had on his arm.

"What's wrong with my watch?" Dale asked with a smile as he messed with it.

"I see you every day, the same time, winding that thing like a village priest saying mass." Morales said, making Andrea nod her head, she'd noticed it too several times.

"I've wondered this myself." Jacqui said with a smile as she scooped up another bite of fish from her plate.

"I'm missing the point." Dale said, holding his hands out to his sides.

"Unless I've misread the signs, the world seems to have come to an end. At least hit a speed bump for a good long while." Jacqui said.

"But there's you every day winding that stupid watch." Morales said.

"Time. It's important to keep track, isn't it? The days at least. Don't you think, Andrea? Back me up here." Dale said, looking at her. Andrea just chuckled and sipped her beer.

"I like, I like what, um, a father said to son when he gave him a watch that had been handed down through generations." Dale said. Everyone was sitting around the fire, eating and listening to the old man. "He said, 'I give you the mausoleum of all hope and desire, which will fit your individual needs no better than it did mine or my father's before me. I give it to you not that you may remember time, but that you may forget it for a moment now and then and not spend all of your breath trying to conquer it.'" He finished with another smile. Everyone was smiling and nodding towards him. All for Shane and Lori, they gave each other a quick look. Both were still worried that the group that went to Atlanta still weren't back. They had been gone since this afternoon.

"You are so weird." Amy said from her spot between Dale and Andrea, causing everyone to laugh.

"It's not me. It's Faulkner. William Faulkner. Maybe my bad paraphrasing." He said to the young blond.

After a few more seconds, Amy set her cup of water down and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Andrea said looking up to her little sister.

"I have to pee. Jeez, you try to be discreet around here." Amy said, looking at her sister, who was 12 years her senior before walking away towards the RV. Bringing another round of laughs.

Dylan brought his beer to his lips and shook his head.

"Can I try some?" Sam said, nodding his head towards his brother's beer. "You used drink that stuff at home a lot."

Dylan looked at his 13 year old brother with a smile and handed over his beer. Sam took it and brought the bottle to his mouth, taking a small sip.

"Ew! That's nasty! How can you drink that crap." Sam said, a disgusted look on his face as he wiped his mouth with his free hand, handing the beer back to his brother while everyone laughed.

Dylan's smile widened as he took the bottle from his little brother and took a drink. He shrugged his shoulders. "Better cold."

"I doubt."

* * *

Ed Peletier was still sulking in his tent. He refused to come out or talk to anybody. He hadn't left his tent all day when he had come back from the quarry after the beating Shane had given him. He told his wife and daughter to leave him alone the rest of the night, so he was annoyed when he heard rustling outside his tent.

"Thought I told y'all to leave me the hell alone, didn't I?" He said, laying in the darkness of his tent with his eyes closed. The rustling continued.

"Hey!" He said as he sat up and crawled over to the tent flap. "What'd I say?" He said as he pulled the flap back. He expected to see Carol standing there with a plate of fish in her hands, but was greeted by another female. Her mouth open, growling at him. "Oh!" He said, as the Walker came closer. It grabbed him and sunk its teeth into his neck as it pushed him to the ground of the tent. Two more Walkers piled in the opening to the tent and started devouring him.

Amy swung the door to the RV back open only a few seconds after she had gone in.

"We're out of toilet paper?" She said towards the group. No one heard her over their talking around the fire. A Walker came out from behind the open door and grabbed Amy's arm that she had on the door's handle. It ripped a chunk of skin out of her arm as she let out a scream. Hearing her cries of pain, Andrea was the first to turn around. Everyone looked up and saw Amy being attacked. As soon as the Walker had ripped away from her arm, she pushed away from it, falling to the ground a few feet away. The Walker started towards her again, she had her back to it. Everyone at the camp dropped their plates and started screaming as they got up from their seats.

"Mom!" Carl yelled as he ran over to his mother.

"Carl!" Lori yelled as she got up and grabbed the boy. More Walkers were coming towards them now. They were coming out of nowhere and everywhere at the same time.

"Lori, get him down!" Shane yelled from a few feet behind Lori and Carl as he cocked his shotgun. Lori, with her arm around Carl's shoulders pushed them both down as Shane aimed in front of them and fired his gun, sending the Walker closest to them to the ground. He took 4 more shots sending more to the ground, but they were still coming.

Rick and his group were closer to the camp by now. They decided to take a shortcut through the trees when they heard the gun shots and people screaming.

"Oh my God." Rick said as he glanced towards the top of the hill where the camp was. The 5 of them picked up their pace.

"Go! Go!" T-Dog yelled.

Jim swung his bat at the Walker in front of him, sending it flying backwards. Kaleb and Blake had run off towards the tents as Sam and Dylan pulled out their guns. They started picking off the ones closest to them, they were everywhere. Dale had his rifle to his shoulder and was trying to fend off the Walkers that approached the fire pits that most of the people were still around. Carol picked up Sophia and got behind Dale. Over by the group of tents Blake and Kaleb stopped, seeing two Walkers ripping into one of the other group members. They both screamed and ran into the woods.

Behind Shane, Carl was yelling and crying, watching everything happen in front of him.

"I'm right here." Lori said to him. "Shane, what do we do? Shane?" Lori said, panicked. Her hand on the back of Shane's shoulder. Another gun shot.

"Follow me!" Shane shouted.

Amy screamed again as the Walker that was behind her grabbed her by the shoulders and it's teeth ripped the side of her neck open.

"No! No! No!" Andrea screamed, running towards her sister. Jim, who was nearby, saw that she didn't have a weapon and ran in between them, pushing Andrea away. He brought the bat back and swung at the Walker standing behind, above Amy, blood dripping from it's mouth. He swung as hard as he could and it fell to the ground behind Amy. It was still moving as Jim turned away and made his way over to the fire pit where more Walkers were starting to gather. Dylan aimed his gun to the downed zombie behind Amy that was still moaning and put a bullet in it's head before he turned around and shot one that was right behind Sam.

Andrea made her way over to her sister and dropped down beside her. Amy was lying on her back now, bleeding profusly from her neck wound.

"Oh God! Oh my God!" Andrea said reaching for Amy's neck.

"Help me." Amy said to her sister.

"Oh God, I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do." Andrea said between sobs as she put pressure on her sister's neck in a useless attempt to stop the bleeding.

"Come on. Come on, stay close." Shane said as he reached behind him for Lori's arm and started leading them away.

"Carol!" Lori yelled and reached behind her for the woman and her daughter.

"Stay close!" Shane said as he walked with the women and Carl, eyes darting around for any Undead that were coming towards them.

A shrill cry broke out as another woman from the group was taken down by two more Walkers. Morales was by the treeline swinging another bat and bashing the skulls in of any zombies that came his way as he walked back to the fire pit to his family. Dylan heard a gunshot over in the forest in the direction of the tents but his attention was quickly turned to the Walker coming up behind Carol as he took aim at it.

The happy fish fry turned into a disaster in only a couple minutes. They were Walkers everywhere, people running and screaming and fallen group members having the flesh ripped from their bones.

"Come on, y'all! Work your way up here!" Shane yelled back to the group around the fire.

"Right in front of you. Shane!" Lori screamed as more Walkers began to make their way towards them. Shane took them out with his shotgun as they came to stop in front of the RV. They turned around to face the camp.

"Get to the RV! Go!" Morales yelled, corralling his wife and two children in front of him.

"Shane! Shane!" Lori yelled as more Walkers showed up all around them.

"Stay with me." He said to her. "Stay behind me. Morales, work up here!" Shane yelled as he pushed Lori behind him and they backed up towards the RV more. Morales took out a few more Walkers with his bat as they surrounded him.

"Get behind me! Come on!" Lori yelled to Carl and pushed him behind her.

"Let's go!" Shane yelled.

Another scream broke through camp and Carl sobbed again. "Stay with me." Lori said to him.

"Come on, make your way to the Winnebago!" Rick heard Shane yell as the group came up the hill out of the tree line into camp. As soon as they rounded the corner around the shower area the group had set up, they saw the tents. Merle was the least of their worries as they saw the devastation the Walkers had brought with them. Rick took aim at one of the Walkers standing outside the Peletier's tent and sent it to the ground with a shotgun round to the head.

Dylan spun around at the sound of gunfire where he knew there were no more live people. He saw Rick, T-Dog, Glenn, Daryl and Kat coming out from around the tents and into camp more, weapons aimed. _Oh, thank God._ He thought as he heard Sam yell her name. The young boy took aim over his sister's shoulder and pulled the trigger. Another Walker that was inside the Peletier's tent, that was now behind them, had come out at the sound of the gunfire and was creeping up behind her before Sam had shot it right between the eyes. Rick and the others started unloading their guns around all the Walkers in camp. Kat came up to Daryl's side and continued forward, landing head shots at every Walker she aimed at as she made her way to her brothers.

People's screams were drowned out by all the gunfire as she came up to Dylan, she put her back to his as they both aimed ahead and around them. Sam at their sides shooting at the Walkers coming out of the trees.

"Where are Blake and Kaleb?!" She yelled, leaning her head back towards Dylan before she pulled the trigger and put a bullet in the head of the Walker in front of her. Rick and the rest of them were slowly making their way closer to Kat and the boys who were further into camp, still around the fire pit.

"They went that way!" Dylan jerked his head in the direction they had just came from.

"Watch his back!" Kat said to Sam before she looked at Dylan. "Get over to the RV with Shane!" She said as she took off towards the tents. She ran in between Daryl and Rick who both looked over their shoulders at her as she disappeared into the trees behind them. The two men continued past the fire pits and closer to the RV. Daryl turned his attention to the Walker on the ground in front of him and jammed the stock of the shotgun into its head over and over again until it stopped making any sound.

"Baby! Carl!" Rick yelled towards the RV at them as he sent a bullet into the Walker in front of him. "Baby!"

Daryl was out of rounds by now and didn't have time to reload so he brought the shotgun back up again and swung the stock of the gun into the face of another Walker.

"Dad!" Carl sobbed and ran to his father.

"Carl!" Rick yelled and sank to his knees as his son wrapped his arms around his shoulders. He picked him up and walked over to Lori. The camp had quieted down by now, every live Walker with a round in its skull or it's head beat in. There were no more screams or moaning, just crying and everyone breathing heavy as what was left of the group made their way to the RV. Dylan stood next to Carol, holding Sam to the front of him. The boy had his arm around his big brothers waist and Dylan's arm was around his shoulders. Both of them held their handguns at their side. Everyone looked around their camp seeing all the bodies on the floor.

"Shh shh shh." Andrea was still kneeling over Amy, her hand to her neck as the younger girl took short, quick gasps for air, trying to breathe. "Oh, Amy." Andrea cried as Amy gagged on the blood that was in her throat. "I don't know what to do, Amy."

Amy brought her own bloody hand up and lightly touched her big sister's face as she let out one more labored breath as her hand fell. She closed her eyes and didn't open them again.

"Oh. Oh." Andrea kept repeating in between sobs, looking over her sister's limp body. "Oh, Amy." She sobbed. Rick finally saw them. He set Carl down and put his arms around his son as he looked at the girl on the ground a couple yards from them. He loosened his grip on Lori, causing her and Carl to both look in the direction his eyes were on. Lori's eyes widened and she let out quick breaths at the site of the sweet, young blood lying lifeless and bloody on the ground. Carl turned his face into his father's chest and sobbed. Rick put his hand on the back of Carl's head and held him there for a second before the boy pulled away.

"Oh, no no!" Andrea sobbed louder. Everyone was looking at her now. Lori dropped to her knees in front of Rick, reaching her arm behind her towards Carl who let out another sob. "Amy! Amy!" Andrea was yelling.

Rick pulled Carl closer to his mother and leaned into Lori. "Stay here a minute." He said. Lori just nodded her head, still looking at Andrea. To shocked to acknowledge him more than that. Kat hadn't come back yet and he was going to get her.

Daryl was looking around the camp for her as well as he saw Rick walking in the direction she had taken off in with his gun drawn. Daryl walked closer to the RV with everyone and stared at Amy and Andrea as he stood a few feet away from Dylan and Sam. _Merle had never been here._

Kat had fallen to her knees with tears in her eyes at the site she came upon in the forest. Kaleb was sitting on his butt with his knees bent, his elbows resting on them. He had one hand covering his tear-streaked face and his small handgun in the other. He was shaking with light sobs. Next to him, there was a dead Walker, a bullet hole in the side of it's head. It's mouth was blood stained from the hole it had ripped into 9 year old Blake's stomach. The youngest Carsen was lying, dead in a pool of his own blood at the base of a tree. Kat put her arms out in front of her to hold herself up as she let the tears spill from her eyes. Her brother's soft sobs breaking her heart even more. They sat there for a few more minutes as she calmed down. The tears had stopped for her but she was just staring at her little brother's lifeless body. She heard a twig snap behind her and spun around, aiming her Beretta in the direction of the noise. As soon as she saw Rick she dropped her arm and turned back around. She looked at the ground in front of her. Rick swallowed as he looked at the scene. His heart broke for the pretty, young woman in front of him and the boy. He walked around her and over to Kaleb. He grabbed the 11 year old from under his arms and helped lift him up. His sobs that had all but stopped by now, picked up again as Rick held him close. He learned that the Carsen's never really had a father and felt for them, they had had to take care of each other for most of their lives. He put his arm around the boy's shoulder and walked over to his sister who was still sitting on the floor staring blankly at the ground in front of her. He holstered his Python and held his now free hand out to her. She looked up and stared at it for a second before reaching up with her own. He pulled her off the ground and as soon as she was up Kaleb wrapped his arms around her. She put her hand on his head and patted at his dark blond hair to try and soothe him. Rick lightly jerked his head in the direction of camp. Kat took her little brother's hand in hers as Rick put an arm around her shoulder and started walking with them. He got his gun out again and held it at his side for safe measure. Not a word was said on the way back. The only sounds being made were their soft footsteps on the ground and the occasional sniffle from Kaleb.

As they came into view of the camp through the trees, everyone looked away from Andrea who was still sobbing over her sister's body. Daryl looked towards the sheriff and the 2 Carsen's with him. _There should be 3...Not 2..._He thought as his face fell. Dylan had the same thought as he took in the sight. Rick had an arm over Kat's shoulders and Kaleb was next to her with a vice grip on her hand. He could see the tear marks through the dirt and blood on his face. Dylan looked to Rick, who shook his head. Dylan closed his eyes as Sam turned his head into his brother's stomach and started to cry, his arm tightened around his little brother's shoulders. Lori looked over at the boy before she turned around and saw Rick leading the remaining Carsens over to their brothers. She brought her hands to her mouth.

Dylan opened his eyes as Rick came in front of them. Kat still had a blank expression on her face but he could tell she had been crying. He put his gun in it's holster and reached out to her. Rick let her go and looked at Daryl before returning to his family. Kat walked the few steps to her brother and laid her head on his chest, standing next to Sam. His hand came up and went to the back of her head as he held her there. Daryl looked at her face, since she was facing him. She was shut down, not even acknowleding him. She was staring at his boots, or at least in the direction of them.

"I remember my dream now, why I dug the holes." Jim said, looking around at people in front of him.


	10. Chapter 9: Wildfire

_Paige: Thanks! And great attention to detail! I've noticed that as well. We've been watching the show so long and are used to calling them Walkers ourselves, that I guess when people write, they don't even think about it. They just write Walkers down, before their characters even meet the people that started calling them that. But I'm glad you noticed :) Enjoy! xo_

**Wildfire**

* * *

Kat had her head resting on Dylan's chest. She listened to the steady beat of his heart. _**He**__ is still alive_. Dylan wasn't sure how long they stood there like that. Kat in front of him, her head on his chest. Sam's arms wrapped around his waist and Kaleb's at his back. Ever since Rick walked her and Kaleb out of the woods, she didn't say anything. She didn't cry. She didn't make any kind of facial expression. She just had that blank stare on her face. The same one she'd worn since Rick found her.

Everyone was still shaken up after the attack. They were all still huddled around Dale's RV, deciding what to do. Most of the group wanted to sleep around the fire, too scared to go to their tents. Too scared that the smell would attract more Walkers, and too scared that their fallen group members would come back to life during the night. They decided several people would always be on watch the rest of the night. Those that slept, could sleep in shifts. If they could even sleep, that was.

Dylan pulled Kat away from him and looked at her. She finally looked in his eyes, but he saw nothing. His little brothers pulled away from his waist as he started walking. He sent them to the fire with Lori and Carl as he led her to her tent. She shook her head when he asked if she wanted to sleep by the fire. She did the same when he asked her if she wanted them to stay with her, but that was the most he got out of her. He knew she was holding it together until she was alone. He left her in her tent and planned on meeting up with Dale. He was going to sit on watch with him for the first few hours until the next shift. Rick told him to rest, but if he sat in his tent with nothing to do but think, what happened would drive him mad. Because he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. This was going to be a long night. But first, he was going to the woods. He went into his tent and pulled the sheet off his cot and grabbed one of Kat's silencers out of his bag and screwed it onto his handgun. Kat had told him before what would happen if someone got bit by an infected person and died. And he wasn't going to let that happen to his little brother.

* * *

Andrea still sat over her sister, staring at her face. She'd been there for a few hours now. Most of the group was by the fire that was still going. Carol was leaned back in one of the rows of car seats they had removed from a car and set up by the fire a few weeks ago. She was holding Sophia close to her at one side and Sam at the other. Kaleb was sitting on the other side of his brother, next to Carl. Sleep didn't come to any of them for hours.

Daryl was leaning against a tree off to the side of the pit, staring at the young boys. They seemed like they were fine for awhile, but then a tear would slide down one of their cheeks every now and then. He didn't want to be out here around everyone anymore. Most of them were saying they should leave right now and others were still crying. He figured he would go lay down and get at least a few hours of sleep if he could. He stalked off in the direction of his tent, which was across from Kat's and the boy's. He was about to go into his when he stopped and looked behind him. He stared at the flap for a few more seconds while thinking. He really wanted to see her. She hadn't came out of her tent for hours. He had lost his brother today too, but he at least had the small comfort of knowing he was alive when he left the city. But her, she had found her baby brother's dead body in the woods. He couldn't even imagine what she must be feeling. He was the baby brother in his equation, though it wasn't anything like her family unit.

Merle had raised him for the most part. When he was actually around, anyway. Merle acted out frequently in his teens and was always doing time in juvenile institutions, and as he got older, jail. That was where he was when this all started and Daryl had gone to get him. But he wasn't much of a father figure either to him growing up, let alone a brother. Sure, there were the small things. Merle throwing a pack of smokes at him when he got home when they were younger, going hunting with him every now and then or having a few drinks at the bar. Even so, Merle didn't always have his back like Daryl thought a big brother should've. So Daryl had taken care of himself, mostly. That's why he was so good at it now. He'd always had to fend for himself. Their dad hadn't ever been much of a dad to the two of them growing up. It was always just him and Merle. Their mother had died when Daryl was young, in a house fire she had started with a lit cigarette and a drunken stupor. They were left with their abusive father after that. He didn't touch Daryl, didn't beat on him like he did Merle. But once Merle couldn't take it anymore and left home, the violence became Daryl's to bear. He had the scars all over his back and a few on his chest to prove it. Their relationship hadn't improved much as they became adults. Daryl kept him at arms length like he did everyone. He didn't think a man should ever lay a hand on his babies, let alone leave scars on their body that they hated for anyone to see. But they were at least civil to each other as they got older. Their father, William, had even invited Daryl to their uncle's for a hunting trip the day the dead rose.

But Daryl knew that Kat was what an older sibling should be to those boys. He saw it whenever she was around them. She cared for them and protected them. The blank expression she had plastered on her face, that stayed there after she came out of the woods, made Daryl realize she thought she'd failed. His legs were moving before he knew what he was really doing. He walked over to her tent and peered in. Dylan had left the flap undone, probably to come check in on her later. He glanced towards the camp before ducking inside. He didn't see anyone looking his way.

Kat heard the tent flap move as someone stepped inside. She figured it was just her brother. She was glad no one had come and bothered her the last few hours. She'd spent that time, curled up under her blankets on the floor, mourning her little brother. _I should've been there. Not Kaleb. I was supposed to keep them safe._ She hadn't protected them like she promised she would weeks ago. She sniffled as she wiped the drying tears from her cheeks. At the sound, Daryl internally sighed a little. She had been crying and a part of him was a little happy about that. She wasn't as shut off as she looked like she was when she disappeared into her tent earlier that night. He was worried she would close off to everybody and the Kat he used to know would be gone. At least for a little while.

He wasn't sure what to do. He'd never been any good at comforting anybody. Hell, he had never really done it. But he knew he wouldn't be any good at it. He wasn't good at emotions, letting them show or talking about them. Saying what he was thinking if it had anything to do with them or what he wanted. Merle had raised him to be like that. But it felt different with her. He heard Kat take in a shaky breath and breath out slowly. She had only stopped crying a little bit ago. He set his crossbow down and propped it up against her bag. He didn't bother taking his boots off, he wasn't going to stay. He just needed to see her for a little bit. They hadn't reunited on the best of circumstances the day before. He turned around and faced her. She hadn't moved. She stayed laying on her side, facing away from him, staring at the tent's nylon wall.

She felt Dylan lay down behind her. She could tell he was about a foot from her. She was about to turn over and face him when the persons scent washed over her, and it wasn't her brothers. _Daryl? _

He laid there next to her on his side. He had his left elbow resting on the ground and his head propped up on his closed fist, since she only had one pillow and she was laying on it. He just stared at her for minute. She sniffled again, trying to breath through her nose more clearly. He reached his right hand out, but stopped himself. He wanted to touch her but wasn't sure if he should. _What am I doin?_ He asked himself. He shook his head and reached towards her again. He put his hand on her bare, upper arm. He ran it, slowly, up towards her shoulder and back down towards her elbow a couple times. He let his hand grip her bicep and give her a little squeeze once, before returning to what he was doing.

"I promised them I would keep them safe...Alive." Kat said, quietly, after awhile.

Daryl's hand stopped on her arm for a second, before starting up again. "You did."

Kat sighed heavily and he saw her shaking her head back and forth against the pillow. Daryl knew what she was thinking.

"Even if you were here, there's nothin you coulda done...You saw how many there was. They were comin outta nowhere...There was no way you coulda been everywhere at once." He said in a soft, quiet voice he didn't know he had.

Kat let out a lighter sigh. Letting his words sink in. Inside, she knew he was right. She just needed to hear someone else say it. There had been Walkers everywhere you looked when they came into camp. And the group there had already taken some out, so she knew it had to have been worse before they arrived. She wouldn't have been able to keep an eye on all 4 of her brothers, every second, and keep herself and the group safe at the same time amidst all the chaos. She just wished things were different.

Her skin felt so soft under his rough hand. He was careful with his motions at first, tense and nervous, before he loosened up and the movements came more naturally. They stayed like that for a few minutes. Silence. Him alternating from rubbing her arm up and down, to just letting his hand rest on her upper arm. It calmed her down, made her feel comfortable. He stayed there until he knew she was asleep. Her breathing became soft and even and he saw her body become lighter.

He fought with himself. He almost wanted to lay there next to her the rest of the night. He had never spent the night with a woman. But he pulled himself up off the floor as quietly as he could and grabbed his crossbow. He didn't know if she would want him to stay. And he didn't really want to deal with the weird looks everyone would give him in the morning when they saw him come out of her tent instead of his. He looked back at her one last time before he pulled the flap back and walked outside. As quietly as he could, he zipped her tent closed. He didn't want anything sneaking it's way in there. There were going to be people on watch all night, but he didn't care. He zipped it and made his way across the small path to his tent.

* * *

Kat woke up early. The sun had just started to come up but she could already hear some of others outside. She had rolled onto her back in her sleep, so she sat upright, rubbing at her eyes. She glanced over to her right before standing up. He wasn't there, not that she expected him to be. She didn't think he would stay the night but she didn't remember him leaving. He must've waited until she fell asleep. He seemed nervous when he had first started touching her, she could tell by the way his hand moved over her. It seemed like the movements were almost forced until he became more comfortable. She could tell him coming to her last night at all was unusual for him enough. Even more so by the looks people were giving, glancing between her and him, as she walked over to the fire pit. Some of them must've seen him leave or go into her tent last night. He looked kind of annoyed, standing there by a tree, but as he looked up at her, his face softened ever so slightly. That Dixon frown was still there, but she could see some of the tension come out of it. She gave him a small smile before she let her face fall again as she came up to the small fire that was slowly going out. A small_ thank you_. She hadn't wanted anyone to come bother her last night after she went to her tent. She wanted to be alone, but was glad it had been Daryl that came to bother her. She welcomed it.

"Alright, everyone. Let's start cleanin this place up. We don't need all these bodies lyin around." Shane said. "Put the walkers in a pile over there so we can burn em. But make sure they're **dead**, dead before you touch em. We don't need anymore surprises, okay?"

"What about the ones that aren't Walkers?" Glenn asked, looking at the ground. Andrea was still sitting by Amy, her cold, dead hand in hers. She'd been there all night and hadn't moved.

The men were going around the camp starting to pick up the bodies and put them into the burning pile they had already started. Daryl was walking around with a pick axe, putting it into the head of every fallen victim, to make sure they wouldn't get up again.

Lori slowly walked up to Andrea's side and came to a squatting position next to her. "Andrea." She said. The blond woman's eyes never left her younger sister's body. "I'm so sorry." She said as she came to her knees. "She's gone. You gotta let us take her...We all cared about her and I promise we'll be as gentle as we can." Andrea didn't respond. Didn't even move. Lori stood up and patted Andrea's shoulder before walking back to the fire pit.

With a grunt, Daryl swung the pick axe and let the point slice into the head of another dead body while Glenn and T-Dog looked on. He was breathing heavy as he yanked the axe out of it's head and started towards the next body, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his arm. Glenn and T-Dog walked to the body, T-Dog pulling from the shoulder's while Glenn was at it's feet. They struggled to drag the dead weight over to the pile of burning bodies several feet away, coughing at the smell on the way there. They hauled it up and swung it into the fire. T-Dog grabbed at the collar of his t-shirt to bring it up over his nose to shield himself from the smell with another cough.

Rick was walking up to the pit Shane, Dale, Kat, Carol and Lori were around. He had gone to sit at the hill Jim had dug the holes at, while he tried to reach Morgan, the man that saved his life in King County. He had tried every morning on the walkie talkie, but there was never anything more than static and the sound of his own voice.

"She still won't move?" Rick asked as he came up to the group, looking ahead in Andrea's direction over by the RV.

"Won't even talk to us." Lori said from her seat next to Carol. "She's been there all night. What do we do?"

"Can't just leave Amy like that. We need to deal with it, same as the others." Shane said.

Rick nodded his head down at his friend who was sitting down beside him. "I'll tell her how it is." He said as he made his way over to Andrea.

He came up to her side and went to kneel down as he said her name. "Andrea."

The woman spun around quickly to face Rick with her gun in her hand as she pulled back the hammer. "I know how the safety works." She said as she pointed the gun at his face. Shane and Lori got up from their seats.

Rick slowly stood back up. "All right. Okay. I'm sorry." He said as he held a hand up and starting backing away. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He said as he backed his way to the pit. Andrea lowered her gun the farther away he got until he turned around. She turned and looked back at her sister's face. Rick looked behind him at her as he walked back to the fire pit, where Daryl now was, standing behind Kat, pick axe laying over his shoulder.

"Y'all can't be serious. Let that girl hamstring us? The dead girl's a time bomb." He said as he pointed his arm out in Andrea's direction before letting it fall back to his side.

"What do you suggest?" Rick asked the hunter.

Daryl took a few steps closer to Rick. "Take the shot." He said. He brought his free hand to his head for a second, making it into a gun before dropping it. "Clean, in the brain from here. Hell, I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance."

"No." Lori said, causing him to look at her. "For God's sakes, let her be." She said as she sat back down. Shane raised his eyebrows at Rick. He wasn't sure what to do either. What were they supposed to do, just sit there and wait until she turned and tried to take a chunk out of her sister? Rick didn't say anything as Daryl looked around at the faces in front of him. He scoffed as he turned around and walked away. Kat looked over her shoulder and let out a sigh as she watched him walk away. He took the pick axe from his shoulder and held it at his side while he walked over to help move more bodies.

"Wake up, Jimbo. We've got some work to do." Daryl said as he passed the man, who looked like he was staring off at the clouds. Daryl walked over to Morales, who was panting and struggling to pull one of their group member's bodies away by himself. Daryl looked at him and gave him a pat on the back as he let the pick axe fall to the ground. He came to Morales' side and grabbed the body's other arm.

"Thanks." Morales said to him as Daryl helped him drag it towards the fire before Glenn stopped the two of them. "Thanks."

"Whoa, hey, what are you guys doing?" Glenn asked as he took a few steps towards them, away from the fire. "This is for geeks. Our people go over there." He said and pointed to a row of bodies they had started for the group members. Daryl looked over his shoulder at the young man.

"What's the difference? They're all infected." He said. He and Morales set the body down and both turned to look at Glenn.

"Our people go in that row over there." He said, visibly upset. He had tears in his eyes. "We don't burn them! We bury them. Understand?" Daryl and Morales looked at the young man for a moment before Daryl leaned over and picked up the body's arm again, Morales following his example. They dragged the body over to the row Glenn had pointed to, Daryl's scowl coming to the surface once again.

"You reap what you sow." Daryl said in Glenn's direction as they got to the bodies, lined by the RV.

Morales looked at him. "You know what? Shut up, man."

With a grunt, Daryl let his side of the body fall. Letting Morales drag it the rest of the way. "Y'all left my brother for dead!" He shouted so the whole group would hear him. He stopped and pointed to the pile of dead group members before walking away again. "You had this comin!"

Jim, who had finally stopped daydreaming, slowly walked over to Jacqui, who was bent over getting ready to move another body. She looked up to Jim as he came up to her, noticing blood on the middle section of his shirt.

"Are you bleedin?" She asked as he stood only a couple feet in front of her.

"I just got some on me from the bodies." He said as he bent down to help her.

"That blood's fresh. Were you bit?"

"No." He said as he put his hands on his knees and looked at her. "I just got scratched during the attack." He leaned down again, looking away from her as he grabbed the body's arm.

"You got bit." Jacqui said as she started to get up.

"I'm fine."

"Then show me." She said. Jim stopped and looked at her. He looked around before he stood up in front of her.

"Don't tell, please." He whispered as he stepped closer to her.

"A walker got him. A walker bit Jim." She said louder, walking away, so the camp could hear.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and came closer. Jim backed up as everyone started gathering around him.

"I'm okay." He said as people started closing in, making a circle around him. Everyone started talking in hushed voices.

"Show it to us." Daryl said as he came up, pointing his arm at Jim, pick axe resting on his shoulder again. He took it in both his hands as he got closer. "Show it to us."

As the men got closer to him, Jim leaned over and grabbed a nearby shovel that was on the ground.

"Easy, Jim!" Shane yelled.

"Grab him." Daryl said.

"Jim, put it down. Put it down." Shane said as he walked up with his shotgun at his side. Daryl yelled for someone to grab him again.

Jim was too focused on Daryl in front of him with a pickaxe in his hands and Shane with a shotgun, even if the Deputy wasn't pointing it at him yet. He was too distracted by the two to notice T-Dog behind him. The black man rushed him from behind, grabbing his upper arms and pulling them back, making him drop the shovel to the ground.

"I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay." Jim said as T-Dog held him there. Daryl dropped the pick axe next to him and quickly came up to the man as he grabbed at the front of Jim's shirt, lifting it up. There, under his brown t-shirt, was a clear bite mark on his stomach. Daryl held Jim's shirt there for a few seconds before letting it fall over his stomach and backing away. T-Dog let the man go as he did the same.

"I'm okay. I'm okay." Jim kept repeating between heavy breaths, over and over, as he looked around at the people in front of him.

Rick had slowly come up to Jim with Shane and ushered him over to the back of the RV where they told him to sit while they convened near the fire pit.

"I say we put a pickaxe in his head. And the dead girl's and be done with it." Daryl said as he stood with the pickaxe at his side.

"Is that what you'd want, if it were you?" Shane asked as he looked at him.

"Yeah, and I'd thank you while you did it."

"I hate to say it, I never thought I would, but maybe Daryl's right." Dale said, shaking his head.

"Jim's not a monster, Dale, or some rabid dog." Rick said, looking at the ground with his hands on his hips.

"I'm not suggesting-" Dale started, but Rick cut him off.

"He's sick" Rick said.

"Hey, hey." Shane said with his hand up as Rick got louder. "Shh."

"He's sick. A sick man. We start down that road, where do we draw the line?" Rick said, looking up at them.

"The line's pretty clear. Zero tolerance for walkers, or them to be." Daryl said.

"What if we can get him help?" Rick said. "I heard the CDC was working on a cure."

"I heard that too. Heard a lot of things before the world went to hell." Shane said, looking at his friend.

"What if the CDC is still up and running?"

"Man, that is a stretch right there."

"Why? If there's any government left, any structure at all, they'd protect the CDC at all costs, wouldn't they? I think it's our best shot. Shelter, protection-"

Daryl started working his jaw back and forth as he chewed on the inside of his lip.

"Okay, Rick, you want those things, all right? I do too, okay?" Shane said as he stopped him. "Now if they exist, they're at the army base. Fort Benning."

"That's 100 miles in the opposite direction." Lori said.

"That is right. But it's away from the hot zone. Now listen to me. If that place is operational, it'll be heavily armed. We'd be safe there." Shane said.

"What makes you think **that **place is even still up and running?" Kat chimed in from between Dylan and Daryl.

Rick nodded. "The military were on the front lines of this thing. They got overrun. We've all seen that." He said, as Daryl looked over his shoulder at Jim. "The CDC's our best choice and Jim's only chance."

Daryl turned back towards the group. "You go lookin for aspirin, do what you need to do. Someone needs to have some balls to take care of this damn problem!" He yelled as he turned and took a few running steps over to Jim with the pickaxe raised. The sound of the hammer of a gun next to his head stopped him from bringing the axe down into the man's skull as Rick came up behind him.

"Hey hey hey!" Shane shouted as some of the group ran up behind Daryl.

"We don't kill the living." Rick said, as Shane made his way in front of Daryl, blocking him from Jim.

Daryl kept the axe raised but turned his head around to Rick. He finally let the pickaxe come back to his side. "That's funny coming from a man who just put a gun to my head."

"We may disagree on some things, not on this." Shane said, causing Daryl to turn and look at him. "You put it down. Go on." Daryl jammed the pickaxe into the dirt and walked off. Shane leaned over and grabbed the axe as Rick walked around him to Jim.

"Come with me?" Rick said as he grabbed Jim by the arm.

"Where are you taking me?" He said as he looked up to Rick.

"Somewhere safe." He answered him. _Away from Daryl._ Kat thought as she watched the whole thing play out. She looked over at the hunter, who walked over towards the cars, kicking the tires as he went by. Everyone fanned out, going to help with the remainder of the cleanup as Dale walked over to Andrea. Who **still** hadn't moved.

Sam, Kaleb, Carl and Sophia went to the quarry with Dylan to load up on more water while the rest of the survivors were getting the dead group members ready to load into Daryl's truck bed. Rick had given him the pick axe back, once Jim was inside the RV with Jacqui.

Kat was sitting on the hood of the red Dodge Challenger, her feet on the front bumper. She had her elbows on her knees and her chin resting on one of her hands as she watched Daryl in front of her. His arms flexing every time he lifted the pick axe up and brought it back down to the head of body that hadn't been taken care of yet. He was walking over to what was left of Ed Peletier's body when Carol walked up to him, making him stop as he looked at her.

"I'll do it. He was my husband." She said, looking down at the corpse, who was almost unrecognizable.

She was crying as Daryl handed the axe to her and backed away. They watched as Carol mustered the strength to bring the pickaxe over her shoulder. She hesitated for a minute before letting the point come down into the side of Ed's head with a sob. She lifted it back out and hit him again, crying. She'd only needed to hit him once. But Kat understood as she sat back and watched. Daryl did too, for that matter. After suffering all the years of abuse. She was finally free. She hit him several more times as the two watched. Each swing giving off less sadness, and more frustration. Kat didn't blame her. She would've done that a long time ago to any man who would've laid his hands on her. She wouldn't have waited for the zombie apocalypse to drive an axe through his head.

Carol finally stopped, breathing heavy, and handed the axe to Daryl. She took one more look at what was left of Ed's head now and walked away. Daryl just looked back at Kat. She met his eyes and then looked at Ed's body as she scooted off the car's hood, grabbing one of the sheets that were in a pile on the ground. Daryl set the axe down to help her wrap him up as she got closer. Rick had told them to wrap up the bodies after they had taken care of them. They were going to bury them in the holes Jim had started to dig the day before. When they were done, Daryl grabbed under Ed's upper body as Kat picked up his feet, and together they hauled his body over to the bed of Daryl's truck, heaving him in. She wasn't having as much trouble with the weight of them as he thought she would as they continued with the rest. She was tougher than she looked for as small as she was.

They were down to the last one as Kat paused for a minute over the already covered body she was standing over, before bending down. She put an arm under it's legs and her other around it's shoulders as she lifted the little body up. Daryl stayed over by the back of his truck when she went over to pick up Blake's already sheet-wrapped body. She told him she would get him. He was chewing on the dry skin around his thumb as she turned and walked back to his truck. She laid her little brother down in front of the others and scooted his body back against them so he wouldn't fall out before they shut the hatch. She grabbed the sheet over his face and pulled it back. She brought her eyebrows together slightly as she looked at him. She drew in a small breath and ran a hand through his bloody, blond hair, noticing the gun shot wound on his forehead. Dylan had told her he took care of him when she insisted on going back into the woods that morning to do it herself. He had already wrapped him up and brought him back to camp when she was in her tent the night before. She brought her hand back and reached towards her hip. She unsnapped the button that held her ammo pack closed. Inside, were a few clips to her handgun and Blake's lucky rabbit foot he had given her the day before when she went into Atlanta with the men. _He said it would keep her safe. _Daryl thought, as he watched her pull it out of her pack before snapping it shut again. She grabbed one of Blake's hands, that were lying on his chest, and slipped the rabbit foot under it before closing it around the foot. She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek before she pulled away.

"Kat, Daryl." Rick said as he came up behind them. Kat pulled the sheet back over Blake's body and looked at Daryl. She grabbed the hatch with him and they closed it together before she turned around.

"Hey." She said, in a voice a little higher than her normal tone, trying to sound like she was okay.

"Why don't you guys take a break now." He said as he got closer to them. "We're still waitin on Andrea..." He said as he looked at the ground.

Daryl shook his head as Kat started walking towards the fire pit to sit down. He followed after her. They didn't have to wait much longer. Daryl had taken a seat next to her around the fire pit, passing his canteen of water back and forth with her. Kat looked up towards Andrea to see her leaning over Amy's body, her ear to her sister's mouth.

Andrea leaned back up and looked at her sister's face. She looked down her body as Amy's hands started to move. Andrea brought her hand to Amy's face as the girl opened her eyes. Andrea looked into them, hoping to see something, anything, left of her little sister. But they weren't her beautiful bright blue anymore. They were bloodshot and glazed over as she looked straight ahead of her into the sky, her body twitching as it came back to life. Amy..._it..._, smelled her, and looked at Andrea.

"Amy." Andrea said, stroking her sister's cheek. "Amy, I'm sorry." She said as one of Amy's arms slowly came up to touch at Andrea's face. "I'm sorry, for not ever being there. I always thought there'd be more time." She said as Amy's hand reached up further and took a hold of the back of Andrea's head, gripping at her hair. Using it and her sister's arm as leverage, she slowly pulled herself up, growling.

Rick and Shane, who were standing several feet away at the Challenger heard the low growls and turned to look in Andrea's direction, the same time Carol put her hand on Dale's thigh. The two of them were sitting at the fire put with Kat as they watched.

Walker-Amy was growling and trying harder to bring her mouth closer to her sister's body. Andrea held her head back. "I'm here now, Amy. I'm here." She said as she reached for her gun.

Rick and Shane both grabbed for their handguns as they approached the girls, not sure if Andrea would be able to do it.

"I love you." Andrea said, as she brought her handgun to the side of Amy's head as she rested her forehead against her sisters, and pulled the trigger. Amy's body fell back to the ground as Andrea leaned over her again, smoothing her hair down and stroking her face.

After letting her set there for a few more minutes, Dale walked up to her with another sheet to help her wrap Amy's body and take her to Daryl's truck.

* * *

Shane and Rick were up on the hill overlooking Atlanta, where Jim had dug the holes yesterday. They were making them a little deeper.

"Say it." Rick said. He stopped digging and looked to his friend.

Shane stopped, resting his hands on the top of the shovel's shaft. He let out a sigh. "Okay...I'm thinking if you'd have stayed here, if you'd have looked after your own, instead you went off. You took half our manpower with ya. I'm thinking maybe our losses wouldn't have been so bad." He said as he picked his shovel up again.

"If we hadn't gone off and brought those guns back when we did, I think our losses would have been a lot worse. Maybe the entire camp." Rick said as they heard a car approach.

They looked up to see Daryl, backing his truck up the path, back end first so it would be easier to get the bodies out. He stopped the truck a few feet from Rick and Shane, breaks squealing, as he put it in park. He opened his door and stepped out. He wiped his forehead off with his red handkerchief before stuffing the end of it into his back pocket as he made his way around the back of his truck.

"I still think it's a mistake not burnin these bodies. It's what we said we'd do, right?" Daryl said as he walked up to Rick and Shane. "Burn em all, wasn't that the idea?"

The rest of the group started walking up the path to the hill.

"At first." Shane said, as he finished working on the grave he was on.

"The Chinaman gets all emotional, says it's not the thing to do, we just follow him along? These people need to know who the hell's in charge here, what the rules are."

"There are no rules." Rick said as he looked at him.

"Well that's a problem." Lori said as she came closer. "We haven't had one minute to hold onto anything of our old selves. We need time to mourn and we need to bury our dead. It's what people do." She said as she turned around and walked over to Carl as the men started getting the bodies out of the car and setting them into the graves.

Everyone was gathered around as the only body left was Amy's. Andrea refused to let anyone help her as she dragged her sister's body into the last open grave. "I can do it. I can do it." She said to Dale as he leaned down to help her lower Amy into the ground. "I can do it! I can do it." She said, until he stood back up. Andrea gave one last pull, as Dale grabbed onto Amy's feet to help make her fall more gently into the hole. Andrea held onto her sister's head as she laid her down on the dirt floor. Dale held out his hand to her, to help her out of the hole.

* * *

"Shane blames me for not being here." Rick said to Lori as they walked with the others in front of them back to camp. "Do you?" He asked as he stopped, making Lori face him. She just looked at him, her mouth open, searching for words, but nothing coming out. Rick let out a breath and looked away.

"We got guns now. We're stronger." He said, looking back at her face.

"And we have fewer people. That makes us weaker...You want me to say I think you were right? I understand that...All I can say is that neither one of you is entirely wrong...It's the best I can do right now." She said to him as he looked away.

"What about the CDC?"

"Rick,"

"We're at the ragged edge here. We need relief and we got a sick man who needs help. I don't know why people can't see that." He said, holding his arm in the direction of the RV where Jim still was.

"Well, look at their faces. Look at mine. We're all terrified." She said to him, smiling to try and fight the tears in her eyes. "If one of us suggested, based on a hunch, that we head toward that city, you'd have no part of it...Tell me something with certainty."

Rick looked in her eyes before looking around. He thought for a few seconds. He couldn't tell her they would be safe one place or another, not right now. "I love you." He said, looking back in her eyes. That, he knew for sure. Lori smiled at him through the tears. "That's- that's all- that's all I got." He said, fighting tears of his own at this point.

"I love you too." She said, nodding to him, a second before they wrapped their arms around each other. They embraced for a few seconds before turning and walking into camp.

Carol heard the door to the RV open and a little knock on the wall. She was sitting next to Jim, who was laying, shirtless, on one of the couches in the RV. She was wiping at his sweating face with a wet rag as she looked behind her to see Rick and Lori walking in. They walked into the back room where Carol and Jim were.

"His fever is worse." She said as she looked at Rick.

"You need anything?" Lori asked, looking at Jim.

"Uh...water...Could use more water." He said.

"I'll get some." She said, smiling at him.

"Okay." He said, not really looking at her.

"Carol, you help me?" Lori said, reaching her hand out to the older woman. Carol turned and grabbed her hand as she got up. The two women made their way out of the RV as Rick took a seat across from Jim. Jim adjusted himself slightly, so he could face the sheriff more.

"You save a grave for me?" Jim asked.

"Nobody wants that."

"It's not about what you want. That, uh...that sound you hear, that's God laughing while you make plans."

Rick let out a breath. "What I want, Jim, if...If God allows, is to get ya some help."

Jim groaned as he started coughing. Rick reached out for the large pot that was sitting on the small table between them and held it out to him, allowing him to grab it as he started coughing more. Rick leaned away and watched as Jim spit up more blood. He coughed a few more times before sitting up and putting the pot back down. He took in a deep breath as he rested his head against the back wall of the RV and closed his eyes. He coughed a few more times to clear his throat before looking straight ahead of him.

"Watch the mangroves. Their roots will gouge the whole boat. You know that, right?" Jim said.

Rick looked at him, bringing his hand to his eyes as he listened to the half crazed man babble on. He rested his hand against his mouth.

"Amy is there, swimming. You'll watch the boat, right?" Jim said as he looked over at Rick. "You said you would."

"...I'll watch the boat...Don't worry." Rick said.

"Okay." Jim looked ahead of him again. Rick ran his hand over his eyes again before letting his hand travel down his face, covering his mouth. The high fever was starting to make the man delirious.

Lori was sitting on the steps of the RV in the doorway, listening, as Shane walked up to her. He came to a squatting position in front of her and just stared at her for a second.

"I need you to help talk some sense into Rick." He said in a low voice.

Lori just got up and walked a few steps away from him.

"Look, this CDC thing, Lori, it's a mistake." He said as he got up and walked towards her. She brought her hands to her hips, shrugging her shoulders a bit as she let out a breath. "So, you're backing him?"

"What else would I do? He's my husband."

"Look, it may be time for you to play the dutiful wife, but you can't tell me that fixing your marriage is worth putting people's lives at risk."

"I think folks around here can make up their minds without bringing my marriage into it. It's a habit you need to break."

"I guess I'll just add it to the list of habits that I'm breaking, whether I like to or not." Shane said to her as Rick stepped into the doorway and made his way down the few stairs of the RV.

"What habits?" Rick said, looking to Shane as his feet touched the ground outside. Lori looked between the two of them. Her husband, and his best friend, who became her lover after this had happened. After Shane had told her her husband was dead.

"Just talking about my need for a plan, man." Shane said as he scratched the side of his nose with his thumb. He looked at Rick, then Lori before turning back to his friend. "So, what is it? Are we leavin or not? Maybe y'all just wanna stay here. We could hang some more tin cans."

"We can't stay here. We both know that." Rick said.

"I was just telling Shane I think we should trust your gut." Lori said. There was a few seconds of silence before Shane spoke up again.

"Let's go do our sweep." He said, looking up at Rick. They were going to walk the perimeter around camp, making sure there were no signs of nearby Walkers.

Rick nodded as he started to walk off with Shane, going to grab their shotguns before going into the forest. Lori walked back to the steps of the RV, going inside to check on Jim.

* * *

"Tell you what, man, these people, man, they're not convinced. You know? You head to the CDC, you might be on your own. You gotta really consider whether you want to put Lori and Carl in that kind of spot." Shane said as he walked with Rick.

"I gotta do what's best for my family."

"Best for your family? What's that? Exposing them to all kinds of risks?"

"As opposed to what? Crossing 100 miles of hostile territory? If we're lookin for a lifeline, I say swim toward the closest ship, not further out to sea...Why can't you back me up?"

"Look, I want to. It's just...I don't see it."

"If it was your family, you'd feel differently." Rick said as they continued walking. But he stopped when he didn't hear Shane's heavy footsteps. He turned around to look at the man.

"What'd you say to me?" He said as he walked up to Rick. He pointed at his own chest. "I kept em safe, man. I looked after them like they were, no, like that were my own." He said as Rick put his hand up. "That's what I did, Rick."

"Shane, I didn't mean it that way."

"Well, how'd you mean it? Go on, man. How'd you mean it?" Shane said as Rick looked away.

He sighed. "You're misinterpreting me, man."

"All right."

"You're just hearing it wrong?"

"Yeah?" Shane said.

"Look, you know, you know I can never repay that debt, okay?" Rick said to him. Their discussion was cut short when they heard a branch snap. They both looked around, raising their shotguns. They nodded to each other as they split up, Rick going one way, Shane going the other. They spread out, looking around for whatever had made the noise. Be it food or another Walker. Shane made his way through the trees, looking down the sights of his shotgun as he landed on a moving body. _Rick. _Shanejust looked at him down the shotgun's barrel. His back was turned away from him, still looking around his side of the forest for the noise. Shane kept him there. Followed him around with the shotgun. _It'd be so damn easy._ He thought, a second before he let the gun come back to his side. He looked to his side to see Dale standing there.

"Jesus." The old man said, looking at Shane and down at his gun.

Shane looked down at his shotgun and chuckled. Trying to brush off what the old man had just caught him doing. "I know...Gonna have to start wearing reflective vests out here." Shane said, looking towards Rick before looking back to Dale. "Seriously...Come on, man!" He shouted in Rick's direction. Rick raised his hand towards him letting him know he heard him. Shane looked back at Dale while he put his brown police cap on his head.

"Come on, man, let's go. Nothin out here." Shane said and walked away, back to camp. Dale's eye's never leaving him.

Back in camp, Andrea was finally sleeping. She was sitting in one of the fold-up camp chairs with a blanket around her in front of the fire pit, where everyone was gathered. Lori was sitting on her knees sharpening the end of a thick stick with a box cutter when she looked up to see the three men walking towards everyone.

"I've, uh, I've been thinkin about Rick's plan." Shane said as he let his shotgun rest against a log by the fire as he approached. "Now look, there are no- there are no guarantees, either way. I'll be the first one to admit that." He said, looking around the group before letting his eyes fall on Rick, who was kneeled down across the fire from him. "I've known this man a long time. I trust his instincts. I say the most important thing here is we need to stay together. So, those of you that agree, we leave first thing in the morning...Okay?" Shane looked around. Seeing most of the group nod. Others were just staring into the fire.

Kat didn't know what else to do. She knew she would feel safer with more people around. But was that really a good idea? Everything was going good for her and her brothers, then she comes here and everything goes to shit. For her and the people at this camp. Was **she** the plague or the people here? Maybe they should just go off on their own again. She glanced at Daryl who was across the fire from her and made a decision. She'd go where ever he went.

* * *

The sounds of people moving about and the sun were the first things that greeted Kat as she walked out of her tent the next morning. She had put everything that she had out, into her bag the night before. So she was now helping her younger brothers put their stuff away as Rick walked up the hill to try Morgan on the walkie again before they left. She was helping Dylan take down the tents as Daryl came out of his. He had changed from the dirty, cut off thermal he had worn the day before when she met up with him. He was wearing a light brown, button down flannel now. The sleeves looked like he had ripped them off in frustration because of the heat. He threw his bag next to their pile since it was across from his tent and started taking his down. Kat threw her keys to Kaleb as she told him to start putting stuff in the trunk as they finished packing up the tents. They were taking the rest of their things to Kat's Avenger as Dylan helped Daryl load his brother's motorcycle into the back of his truck and tie it down. Everyone else was packing the last of their own belongings into the cars they had as they waited.

"We're movin out," Rick said as he pressed the transmit button of his walkie talkie down, "leavin the quarry. If you heard me yesterday, you may be comin here. If you are, we'll be gone by the time you arrive. I'm leavin a note and map behind for you taped to a red car so you can follow our trail. We're headin to the CDC. If there's anything left, it's got to be there, don't ya think? Morgan...I hope you were right about that place. I need you to be." He said as he looked towards the Atlanta skyline, thinking back to his meeting with the man that saved his life. Morgan had been the one that told him the CDC was trying to find a cure.

Kat took a seat on the hood of her car as they waited for everyone to be ready to go. She scooted herself up towards the windshield and leaned her back against it. Her hands were resting on the hood at each side of her body and she crossed her legs at her ankles. She looked around at the camp at all the people, returning small smiles every now and then when she was given one. Daryl walked around the car to the side she was on, putting his hands on the hood as he leaned against it.

"You think this is a good idea?" He asked her.

She let a deep breath out of her nose as she thought for a second. "I agree with Rick's move more than I do Shane's. The CDC's closer. Fort Benning is 100 miles the other way. I'd rather go check out what's nearest to us than ignoring it all together." She said as she looked up at him. "Not to mention they might know more about this...If all else fails and the CDC is shit, then maybe we can gather enough supplies to make it to Fort Benning." She said as he nodded. She also wanted to go to the CDC to see if the scientists there knew if it was the T-virus or any new strain that Neo-Umbrella had unleashed. If it was, she knew a facility around here would have the anti-virus. They had never made one without the other. But she'd have to see what they knew there first, if anything at all. "We'll worry about that when that gets here though." She said as she saw Shane walking towards the cars with Rick. She swung her legs over to the side of her car, brushing Daryl's hands before he yanked them away, as she stood up. She walked around to join the group to see what they had to say with Daryl following her.

"All right, everybody listen up. Those of you with CB's, we're gonna be on channel 40. Let's keep the chatter down, okay? Now you got a problem, don't have a CB, can't get a signal or anything at all, you're gonna hit your horn one time. That'll stop the caravan. Any questions?" Shane said as he looked around at everybody.

"We're, uh- We're not going." Morales said as he stood next to his wife and two children.

Everyone looked at them for a second before Morales' wife spoke up.

"We have family in Birmingham." Miranda said. "We wanna be with our people."

"You go on your own, you won't have anyone to watch your back." Shane said as he looked at the family.

"We'll take that chance. I gotta do what's best for **my** family." Morales said.

"You sure?" Rick asked.

"We talked about it. We're sure."

"All right. Shane." Rick said as he knelt down next to the bag of guns.

"Yeah, all right." Shane said. ".357?"

"Yeah." Rick answered him as he pulled out a gun. Shane grabbed a box of ammo. Daryl stopped chewing on his thumb as he looked at what the two men were doing. Rick walked up to Morales with his hand open, a gun laying on it. Shane walked up beside him with a box of bullets.

Morales took the gun from Rick as Shane held out the green box. "The box is half full." He said as he handed it over. Daryl let a frustrated breath out of his mouth and looked at Kat, who was next to him, before turning in a circle. He shook his head as he faced the group again and brought his thumb back up to his lips. Lori hopped down from the hood of the car she was on and walked over to say her goodbyes.

"Thank you all...for everything." Miranda said.

"Come here." Lori brought her in for a hug as Miranda started to cry.

"Good luck, man." Shane said to Morales as he shook the man's hand. Lori kissed the heads of Morales' son and daughter before they went to say their goodbyes to the other children they had become fast friends with.

"Bye," Eliza said to Sophia giving her a hug. Sophia started crying as she put her arms around her little friend.

"Thank you." Miranda said as Jacqui hugged her.

Eliza pulled away from Sophia. She said bye to her again and held out her doll. Sophia took it and held it to her chest as the little girl walked to her father.

"Channel 40 if you change your minds." Rick said, shaking Morales hand. "All right?"

"Yeah."

The four started walking to their car as Sophia came up to her mother's side. "I know." Carol said as she pulled her daughter in for a hug. Tears coming down her own face as well. Daryl watched them walk off, with another of their guns. He wasn't happy when Rick handed over some of their fire power to the vatos in the city and wasn't happy now either.

"What makes you think our odds are any better?" Shane said. "Come on. Let's go. Let's move out." He said louder, making everyone start for their vehicles.

They all drove down the gravel path that led to the main road, Morales in the lead. He waved his hand out the window as he turned to the right. The RV who was next in the caravan, turned to the left, leading the rest of the group away. Glenn was sitting in the passenger seat of the RV next to Dale, with a map in his hands. They decided to take back roads, around the city, to get near the CDC. It would take a good part of the day but they knew there would be no way they'd be able to fit all of their cars through the streets of Atlanta or the streets closer to the city. So they drove. For hours.

It was late in the afternoon when Dale hit his horn and pulled the RV off to the side of the road, causing all of the cars behind him to do the same. The engine was overheating again, as if the smoke billowing from the front of the RV wasn't proof enough.

"I told you we'd never get far on that hose." Dale said as he was standing in front of the hissing RV with Rick. "I said I needed the one from the cube van."

"Can you jury-rig it?" Rick asked him.

"That's all it's been so far. It's more duct tape than hose...And I'm out of duct tape." Dale said as everyone gathered towards the front of the RV.

"I see somethin up ahead." Shane said at the front of the group. He had his binoculars in his hand up to his eyes. "A gas station if we're lucky."

T-Dog walked up to him, holding his hands out for the binoculars.

"Y'all, Jim- it's bad." Jacqui said as she rushed out of the RV and over to Rick. "I don't think he can take anymore."

"Hey, Rick, you wanna hold down the fort? I'll drive ahead, see what I can bring back." Shane looked over to him.

"Yeah, I"ll come along too and I'll back you up." T-Dog said as he looked through the binoculars.

Rick nodded at him once before turning around towards the door of the RV. Daryl had leaned in through the door to look inside, making sure Jim wasn't clawing through the window trying to eat any of the group members yet. He stepped off the steps to let Rick inside as the man got closer. Rick took off his hat before he stepped up to the door.

"Y'all keep your eyes open now. We'll be right back." Shane said as he and T-Dog walked to his Jeep and got inside. They started down the road to the gas station. Daryl walked towards his truck to get out his crossbow until they were moving again.

"We'll be back on the road soon." Rick said as he came up to a pale-faced Jim. The man had bags under his eyes as if he hadn't slept for days.

"Oh no. Christ. My bones- my bones are like glass. Every little bump. God, this ride's killin me...Leave me here." Jim said to him, nodding towards the window as he tried to breath normally. "I'm done...Just leave me...I wanna be with my family."

Rick knelt down next to him. "They're all dead...I don't think you know what you're asking. The fever- you've been delirious more often than not."

"I know. Don't you think I know?" Jim groaned as he tried to sit up. "I'm clear now. In five minutes I may not be. Rick, I know what I'm asking. I want this. Leave me here. Now that's on me. Okay? My decision. Not your failure."

Rick looked at him for a few seconds before standing up. He nodded his head before he went outside and waited for Shane and T-Dog to get back.

* * *

"It's what he says he wants." Rick said, standing in front of everyone. Shane and T-Dog hadn't found a hose for the RV, but they'd found Dale some more duct tape...

"And he's lucid?" Carol asked.

"He seems to be." Rick said as he messed with his hat that was still in his hands. "I would say yes."

"Back in the camp when I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down, you misunderstood. I would never go along with callously killing a man. I was just gonna suggest that we ask Jim what he wants. And I think we have an answer." Dale said, looking around at everyone.

"We just leave him here? We take off? Man, I'm not sure I could live with that." Shane said, looking to his friend.

"It's not your call, either one of you." Lori said to the two men in front of her. They stood in silence for a few seconds before Rick looked at Shane. He gave him a brief nod as the two walked into the RV.

"Yeah. That's it." Rick said as he and Shane gently helped Jim sit back under a tree a few yards away from the cars.

Jim was breathing heavy and groaning from the pain of being moved, but let out a relieved sigh as he leaned back against the tree. Shane stepped over him and came to kneel down at his side.

"Hey, another damn tree." Jim looked above him then smiled towards Shane, who let out a little laugh.

The smile fell from Shane's face as he leaned forward. "Hey, Jim- I mean, you know it doesn't need to be this." He said, putting his hand on Jim's knee.

"No. It's good. The breeze feels nice."

"Okay. All right." Shane stood up, wiping the sweat from his mouth with his arm as he backed away from the man.

Jacqui came up next and knelt down next to him. She gave him a sad smile. "Just close your eyes, sweetie. Don't fight." She said, Jim closed his eyes. She put her head on his neck and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek before she got up and walked back towards the RV.

Rick was next to walk up and kneel next to the dying man. "Jim, do you want this?" He asked as he held out a small handgun.

"No. You'll need it...I'm okay." He said. Rick stood up, putting a hand on the man's shoulder. "I'm okay."

Dale came up next and put his hand on the man's knee. "Hey." He smiled down at him. "Thanks for, uh- for fighting for us."

"Okay." Jim said as he struggled to keep his breathing normal.

Glenn nodded to the man as everyone started walking back to their vehicles. Leaving only Daryl behind, crossbow in hand. He looked up at Jim, who gave him a small closed mouth smile, and took a few steps forward. Daryl gave him a nod, and walked off towards his truck. He wasn't going to be a danger to the group anymore. _To Kat._ If they just left him here. Kat, seeing the exchange let out a breath she was holding. She really didn't want another fight to erupt when Daryl shot the poor man in the head with his Horton.

Jim smiled as he watched the group making their way to their cars. He looked up at the sky through the tree branches and stared at the sun. He closed his eyes as he heard car doors opening and closing and engines starting.

Everyone looked out the windows of the cars toward the mechanic that had once been a valued group member as they drove away.

****CDC****

**WILDFIRE MSB3417 ACTIVE**

**BEGIN TRANSMISSION**

Dr. Edwin Jenner saw on the screen in front of him as he started to record another entry for his log.

"Jenner here. It's day 194 since Wildfire was declared and 63 days since the disease abruptly went global. There's no clinical progress to report." He said staring at the camera. He grabbed his notepad and flipped through a few pages of what he wanted to talk about in this recording before setting it down. "Item- I finally got the scrubbers in the east sector shut down to save power. Wish I coulda done it a month ago, but it took me that long to figure it out. Too bad I never studied engineering. Coulda saved a lot of amps." He said as he picked up his coffee mug. "Item- I'm still not sleeping well. Can't seem to keep regular hours. Living underground doesn't help, not knowing if it's day or night. I'm just feeling very off-kilter these days." He stared into the camera until he hit the 'End Recording' button.

**WILDFIRE MSB3417 ACTIVE**

**END TRANSMISSION**

The door leading to the decontamination room beeped as he stepped through and into the lab in his hazmat suit. He had turned his classical music on that he normally worked to. It helped him concentrate.

He hadn't made any progress on finding out what had caused this disease or how to stop it. The first thing everyone thought and the calls being sent to them were to check the T and G-Virus samples that they and every other CDC had knowledge and samples of. But when they had tried the anti-virus to either of them on an infected person, they did nothing. Later, when he had compared samples of tissue from Wildfire, to tissue infected with the T or G-Virus, nothing looked the same. The cells weren't similar. How it effected the brain and body were different. It didn't match up with either one of them. Leading cause to believe that this was something else entirely. But what?

Jenner walked around the lab, switching on equipment as he walked to the freezer that held the last parts of the samples he had been working on. He cut the bag labeled TS-19 open and laid the slab of muscular tissue in a petri dish. He used his small scissors to cut a small piece off and picked it up with his tweezers as he placed it into a small test tube. He grabbed the pipet he had laying on the counter and pushed it into a cylinder of yellow liquid. He pushed on the pipet and released it, drawing the fluid up into the device. It was a mixture of both the T and G anti-virus he had made on a whim. He swirled the solution around in the test tube with the tissue as it fizzed.

He placed the test tube into a centrifuge which would separate the substances as it dissolved. He sat there waiting for it to be done with it's cycle, dozing off, before the buzzer started sounding, letting him know it was done. He opened the centrifuge and took the test tube out. Opening it up, he took a small stirring rod and dipped it into the test tube, getting a small amount of the liquefied tissue on the end of the rod. He rubbed it onto a glass slide before putting it under a microscope and peered into the lens. He looked at the magnified cells as they did they same thing they did before. They combined, turning black before separating, but not reversing it in any way. If anything, it made it worse. He leaned over to grab his notepad when he knocked the vial of anti-virus mixture onto the petri dish of tissue. It immediately fizzed up, over flowing onto the drainage counter, causing alarms to go off in the lab. Jenner brought his gloved hand over to the sample and tried to wipe the anti-virus off of his last sample. He looked at his glove as the solution started to eat away at it. He quickly tore it off, revealing the thinner glove underneath. It was eating through that one as well.

An female's automated voice came over the speaker in the room, over the sounds of the alarm. "Alert status. Air qualifiers indicate corrosive fumes." The voice said as Jenner hurried toward the decontamination chamber. "All personnel must clear the room." He pulled the lever outside the door that showered him with the phase 1 fluid of the decontamination process. He spun around letting it fall over his suit as the voice continued. "Corrosive element is deemed poisonous if inhaled." After the first phase was done, the door opened, allowing him into the actual decontamination chamber. As soon as the door shut and sealed behind him, he began taking off his suit while he was sprayed with the phase 2 solution from all sides. He stripped off his shirt as he let the watery liquid flow down his body as he stretched his arms out.

"All personnel clear. Full decontamination in effect." The automated voice said.

At the words, Jenner opened his eyes and his head snapped up. "No!" He yelled as he spun around in time to see the entire lab room he was just in burst into flames. He put his hands to either side of the glass as he looked into the room. All of the samples of Wildfire, the T and G-Virus, along with their anti-virus. Gone.

"Full decontamination complete." The voice said. Jenner put his head against the glass.

**WILDFIRE MSB3418 ACTIVE**

**BEGIN TRANSMISSION**

Jenner took a drink of wine from the glass he had in front of him as he started his recording. "The T and G virus samples are no more. Along with the anti virus." He said, taking another gulp as he looked down. He stared at the keyboard before looking back up at the camera. "The TS-19 samples are gone. The tragedy of their loss cannot be overstated. They were our freshest samples by far." He said, finishing his glass. "None of the other samples we gathered even came close...Those are necrotic, useless dead flesh...I don't even know why I'm talking to you...I bet there isn't a single son of a bitch out there still listening, is there?...Is there?" He stared into the camera a few more seconds before going to stand up. "Fine. Saves me the embarrassment." He came to his full height, putting his hands on his hips. "I think tomorrow I'm gonna blow my brains out." He said. He shrugged. "I haven't decided...But tonight, I'm gettin drunk." He said, leaning towards the camera as he picked up the wine bottle and his glass. He emptied what was left of the bottle into his empty cup. "Speaking of which, how far do you think I can chuck this, huh? Pretty far I bet." He said as he brought his arm back and sent the empty wine bottle flying. He was met with the sounds of glass shattering seconds later. "Oh! It is out of the stadium!" He said raising his arms, stumbling a bit. He walked back to the computer and hit the 'End Recording' button.

* * *

It was late in the evening when the survivor's caravan pulled up outside the CDC. The sun was going down quickly and they wanted to get off the streets as soon as they could. They weren't able to drive all the way up to the building due to the road blocks that were set up, so they parked on the street that led up to the building. As they got out of their cars one by one, with most of them carrying their weapons, they looked towards the scene laid out in front of them.

The whole day. An entire day is what it had taken to get them to where they were. After they had left the back roads, they had to keep stopping and turning around to find alternate paths that would fit all of their cars through Atlanta as they drove into the city more. The cars people had abandoned were jam packed on every street, but they finally managed to pull through when they stopped at the street near the building they were on now. They thought the military would've protected this place with everything they had. But there were bodies all over. Flies buzzing around everywhere you stepped. The smell was almost unbearable. That scent of something rotting and decomposing. Death. That sickening smell that stayed in your nose for hours. Once you smelled it once, you never forgot it.

The military had been set up here at one time, but it didn't look like that helped much. There were 'Road Closed' signs and sand bags piled on the corners of the entry road to the building, where soldiers must've been stationed. Rick walked in front of the group with a shotgun to his shoulder. The people with weapons formed a perimeter around the people in the middle as they made their way closer to the building. Most of the group were coughing as they walked, putting their hands to their noses to try and mask the smell, as they stepped around and over all the dead bodies.

"All right, everybody. Keep moving. Go on." Shane whispered loud enough for the group to hear him. "Stay quiet. Let's go."

They all walked forward, around a large sign blocking the entry road that said "STOP; MILITARY CHECKPOINT." _Lot of good that did._ Kat thought as she passed it. She worked her way in front of Daryl, who was holding his crossbow in one hand and a shotgun in the other.

They all continued down the street, groaning and mumbling at the smell as they walked further into it.

"Keep moving. Stay together. Keep moving. Come on." Rick said.

"Shh. Jeez." Shane quieted him as he looked around. The closer they got to the building, more into the military zone, the more bodies there were lying on the ground. There was an armored truck and a tank sitting in the road up to the CDC and two more up at the entrance.

"Carol." Lori said as she reached for the woman behind her when she stopped to look around.

"Shh." Rick said as he glanced over his shoulder.

"Oh, God." Glenn said as he looked around. They could see bodies all the way up to the closed, metal shutters of the CDC. The group made their way towards the main entrance.

Inside the CDC, Jenner heard a small alarm beeping. Letting him know there was movement being detected towards the front of the building. He turned around to look at the screen as it brought up the area in question. The feed to the camera above the entrance popped up and he could see a group of people walking up to the doors.

"No." He said, not believing what he was seeing.

"Keep it together. Come on." Rick said as they got closer to the doors.

"We're almost there, baby." Lori said to Carl, who had a hold of his mother's hand with one of his and the other over his mouth and nose. "Almost there."

Rick and Shane both reached out and shook the shutters that were over the doors, causing them to rattle.

"Nothin?" Shane asked, putting his back against the shutter and bending down a bit, trying to push it up. It wouldn't budge. He turned around and pounded on the shutter.

"There's nobody here." T-Dog said.

"Then why are these shutters down?" Rick said, looking back at him.

"Walkers!" Daryl shouted, causing everyone to turn around.

"Baby, come on." Lori said as she pushed Carl behind her as the kids started whimpering.

Everyone with a weapon cocked their guns and moved a few steps forward but didn't dare fire a shot. They would be ringing a dinner bell.

Daryl took a few steps and aimed his crossbow at the one that was slowly coming towards them across the path to the CDC. He pulled the trigger, hitting it right in the forehead. "You led us into a graveyard!" He yelled as he turned around and walked back over towards Rick.

"Shhh!" Shane said as he walked back towards Rick as well.

"He made a call." Dale said, looking at Daryl.

Daryl scooted between Glenn and Kat and around Andrea, trying to get closer to Rick. "It was the wrong damn call!" He said, reaching Rick the same time Shane did.

"Just shut up. You hear me?" Shane said coming right up to Daryl, hitting him in the chest and pushing him back.. "Shut up. Shut up!" He pointed at him before turning around. "Rick, this is a dead end."

"Where are we gonna go?" Carol said as she held onto Sophia.

"Do you hear me? No blame." Shane said, turning back to the group of people who were now panicking.

"She's right. We can't be here, this close to the city after dark." Lori said, looking around.

"Fort Benning, Rick- still an option." Shane said.

"On what? No food, no fuel. That's 100 miles." Andrea said, stepping closer to the men.

"125. I checked the map." Glenn said.

"Glenn, you're not helping the case." Kat said before she spun around, hearing Daryl cock his shotgun.

"Forget Fort Benning. We need answers tonight, now!" Lori said as Carl started sobbing.

"We'll think of something." Rick said as he raised his hand, trying to calm everyone down.

"Come on, let's go." Glenn said.

"Let's get out of here." T-Dog joined in as the people started turning around.

"Let's go. Please." Glenn looked at Rick, who didn't move from in front of the shutter.

"All right, everybody, back to the cars. Let's go. Move." Shane said as he started rounding people up. Rick looked to the camera above the door when it made a whirring sound.

"The camera- it moved!" Rick said, not looking away from it.

"You imagined it." Dale said, looking back to the man then towards the camera, making everyone's eyes follow.

"It moved." Rick said, almost to himself, as he stepped closer. "It moved." He repeated as Shane walked up to him.

Jenner watched as the man in a cop's hat and uniform stepped even closer to the camera he had just panned over to the group.

"Rick, it's dead, man. It's an automated device, man. It's gears, okay? They're just winding down. Now come on." Shane said as he grabbed Rick by his arm and started to drag him away.

"No, just go away." Jenner said as he looked at the screen.

"Man, just listen to me." Shane said as Rick started fighting to pull away. "Look around this place. It's dead, okay? It's dead. You need to let it go, Rick." Shane said as he pushed back against his friend. Rick pushed him back and made his way around him. He walked back to the shutter below the camera and started banging on it. Causing it to rattle loudly.

"Rick, there's nobody here!" Lori yelled.

"I know you're in there. I know you can hear me." Rick said as he looked up to the camera. Shane had come up to his side again, he grabbed Rick's arm, only to be shaken off.

"Get back to the cars now! Go!" Shane yelled to the others as he turned around to face them before turning to Rick again.

"Please, we're desperate. Please help us. We have women, children, no food, hardly any gas left." He held his arm out towards the camera as Lori ran up to him and stood in front of him. She put her hand on his chest.

"Rick. There's nobody here." She said. He didn't look at her.

"We have nowhere else to go." He said as he pushed around Lori and started banging on the shutter again.

"Keep your eyes open." Shane said to everyone as he was greeted with a chorus of let's go's and come on's. He turned around and walked back over to Rick and Lori.

"If you don't let us in, you're killing us! Please!" Rick yelled as he continued to bang on the shutter.

Shane grabbed Lori's arm and pushed her behind him in the direction the group was. "Come on, buddy, let's go." He said as he wrapped his free arm around Rick's chest in an attempt to drag him away again. "Let's go."

"Please help us." Rick said as everyone started shouting again as Shane pulled him away. "You're killing us! You're killing us!" He yelled at the camera as Shane dragged him back. "You're killing us!" He yelled one more time before Shane spun him around and let go, sending him in the direction of the cars. Rick stumbled trying to get his balance as he heard a noise behind him. He quickly turned around and looked at the shutter that was now being opened. Everyone lowered their weapons and stared at it as a blinding, white light lit up the area in front of them, now darkened by the night sky.


	11. Chapter 10: TS-19

**TS-19**

* * *

They all stared ahead of them as the bright light coming from the door shut off, leaving a much dimmer room ahead of them.

"Daryl, you cover the back." Shane said as they formed a scattered line, making their way to the opening.

Rick was the first to walk through, shotgun raised. They all filed in, looking around the large open reception room. It was clear of walkers and humans from the looks of things.

"Hello?" Rick said as they walked further in, weapons still ready. "Hello?"

"Close those doors." Shane said to Kat and Daryl who were the last ones in. They turned and closed the glass doors the shutter was previously blocking. "Watch for walkers."

The group gathered in front of a center wall that had a mural and 'CDC' painted on it's front. Over their heads, there was dim lighting, giving the room enough light for them to see around. "Hello?" Rick said again.

A gun being cocked was the next sound in the room when a tall, blond haired man stepped out from the room behind the wall onto a small raised landing.

"Anybody infected?" He shouted at them, an automatic rifle aimed at the group. Kat could tell he was inexperienced from the way he was holding it. It was mostly for show.

"One of our group was...He didn't make it." Rick said to him as he lowered his weapon a little from the man.

The man made his way down the steps of the small landing he was on. "Why are you here? What do you want?"

"..A chance."

"That's asking an awful lot these days." The man said, stepping closer.

Rick tilted his head a little in a knowing manner, before looking back at the man. "I know."

Edwin took a minute to look around at all the faces in front of him. He hadn't been sure if anyone was even still left alive until now. He hadn't seen a living person in months. "You all submit to a blood test. That's the price of admission." He said, coming even closer, almost subconsciously. He hadn't been around actual people in so long.

"We can do that." Rick said. Lowering his weapon more.

"You got stuff to bring in, you do it now." The man said, letting the AR come to rest at his side. "Once this door closes, it stays closed." He said, pointing to the door they just came in as he made his way to Rick. He nodded and headed towards the door again with the man.

Daryl, Glenn, Dylan, Rick and Shane were the group that went out to the cars to grab everyone's essentials. T-Dog and Dale held the two glass doors open for the group while Kat waited just outside, her handguns in each hand just in case a stray got too close to one of the group. They made quick work of grabbing the bags, drawing little attention to them as they made their way back to the open doors and their new safe haven.

T-Dog and Dale pulled the doors shut as soon as Kat made her way back inside behind Shane. Once the doors were shut, Edwin slid his ID card through the security keypad next to the doors. With a beep, the lights on the keypad's box turned green and the words "Access Granted" appeared on the small screen.

"Vi, seal the main entrance." He said into the speaker on the box. "Kill the power up here."

The shutter began to come down over the door again, blocking them from the outside. The locks all slid in place for what would be the final time. The keypad beeped once after they were closed and turned red again, reading "All Systems Locked" on the screen.

"Rick Grimes." Rick said as everyone else walked away from the doors to grab their things. He offered his hand to the man who had let them in. He was still standing by the security keypad.

"Dr. Edwin Jenner." He said, pausing to look around at the people before taking Rick's hand and giving it a shake.

After some very brief introductions, he told them they would be safer, and more comfortable, in the main part of the CDC. He led them back to the landing he had first stepped out on to greet them and through the room behind the center wall. The hallway at the end of the room led to a large service elevator that only went down. All 17 of them fit inside, though it was a little tight. They listened to the sounds of the elevator humming and working it's way to the lower levels as it made it's way down. _At least there's no god damn elevator music._ Kat thought, then hoped this wasn't going to end up like her last elevator ride with Leon on their last job.

"Doctor's always go around packin heat like that?" Daryl said, looking towards Jenner who had the AR resting against his chest. Daryl was tucked into the back corner of the elevator while Jenner was at the front by the keypad controls.

"Well, there were plenty left lying around. I familiarized myself." Jenner said, looking behind him at Daryl. He glanced around at a few of the faces around him. "But you look harmless enough." He said, before letting his eyes fall down on little Carl and Kaleb, who were standing next to him and were much shorter than everyone else on the elevator. Sam cutting it pretty close, though. "Except you." He nodded his head at the smaller boys. "I'll have to keep my eye on you." He said, causing both boys to let a small, shy smile play on their lips. Jenner smiled before turning back to the keypad. They were almost at the bottom now.

They could all feel the elevator slow as it came to a stop, seconds before the door opened. Jenner walked out first and everyone began to exit the elevator. He led them down an L shaped hallway as everybody followed him.

"Are we underground?" Carol, who was towards the back of the group, asked. Jenner turned to look at her over his shoulder, but didn't stop walking.

"Are you claustrophobic?" He asked.

"A little."

"Try not to think about it." He said as he continued down the rest of the main hallway.

"Vi, bring up the lights in the big room." He said as he made his way down another, smooth surface, platform. And it was just that, a big room. There was a humming sound and beeping of equipment as overhead lights lit up the huge room ahead of them. In the middle, at the end of the platform, was a large, circular landing about 2 feet off the ground. It had two small stairs leading to the floor it was sitting on at either side of the platform. On top were several computer terminals. "Welcome to zone 5." Jenner said, turning his head towards the group behind him. They all looked around the room ahead of them as Edwin made his way to the computers, the group slowly following after him.

"Where is everybody?" Rick asked. "The other doctors, the staff?" He said, looking around the room as they walked towards the computers.

"I'm it." Jenner said, as he stood in the middle of the room among the empty terminals. "It's just me here." Rick looked around for a moment, trying to wrap his head around what the man had just said. _One man, in this entire building?_

"What about the person you were speaking with? Vi?" Lori said.

"A Virtual Intelligence program...Vi." Kat said from between her brothers and Daryl, making everyone look at her. She was familiar with them.

"Vi, say hello to our guests." Jenner said, nodding at Kat. "Tell them...Welcome."

"Hello, guests. Welcome." An automated voice sounded over the speakers. Echoing slightly off of the walls in the large, empty room.

"I'm all that's left." Jenner said as he looked at Rick. "I'm sorry." He turned around, leading them to the other side of the room and out of the door there. He led them through another set of hallways and into a room they used mostly for small seminars or meetings. It was large enough for all of them to fit in comfortably while he took everyone's blood samples.

* * *

"What's the point? If we were infected, we'd all be running a fever." Andrea said, sitting on a chair across from Jenner at the front of the room as he finished drawing her blood. She was the last one.

"I've already broken every rule in the book lettin you in here. Let me just at least be thorough." He said as he set the syringe down on the small table next to them and gave her a cotton ball to hold on her arm. "All done."

Andrea slowly got up and turned to head back to the group when she stopped, feeling light headed. "Ohh." She let out a breath. Jacqui, who was standing behind her, came to her side to help her walk.

"Are you okay?" Jenner asked, seeing the woman sway a little.

"She hasn't eaten in days." Jacqui said, looking around Andrea at Jenner. "None of us have." The man looked around at the group, almost dumbfounded. _Had it gotten that bad? That they couldn't get food?_

* * *

Everyone was gathered around a couple tables they had pushed together in the CDC's cafeteria. There was a kitchen area behind a counter at the side of the room. Jenner had taken a few of the women with him to the food storage in the next room, letting them pick out food to prepare a meal for everyone. There was more than enough food for everyone here and then some. They all sat, laughing and talking, as they enjoyed the first big meal they had in awhile. In celebration of finally finding a place they would be safe at, Jenner showed them to the alcohol cabinet, which had more bottles of wine than they could count. They set up a table at the end of theirs with various bottles they could use as they drained them one by one, taking full advantage of not having to watch everything they did and look over their shoulder every second.

"Fine." Lori laughed, as Dale, who was standing at the end of the table, poured her another glass of wine. She refused at first, but he suckered her into it.

"You know, in Italy, children have a little bit of wine with dinner." Dale said, handing her the glass. "And in France." Dale was getting ready to pour a little wine into the empty cup in front of Carl when Lori put her hand over it with a smile, shaking her head.

"Well, when Carl is in Italy or France, he can have some then." She said, looking between her son and Dale as she took a sip of her wine.

"What's it gonna hurt? Come on." Rick said with a smile, looking at her from his seat next to Carl, who was sitting between them. Lori looked at him as he laughed a little bit. "Come on." Rick said again, his smile spreading.

Lori smiled and shrugged her shoulders as she took her hand off of Carl's glass and raised it in the air in surrender, causing everyone to laugh.

"Heyyy!" T-Dog said as he raised his own glass of wine up with a wide grin on his face.

Dale leaned over and picked up Carl's glass as he poured a little bit of the red wine into it. "There you are, young lad." He said as he handed it to the boy. Who took it from him right away, bringing the glass right to his lips.

Rick looked at his son, letting out a chuckle as he saw the boy's face twist up as soon as he took a sip of the dark red colored drink.

Carl quickly put the cup down on the table and squished his face together in disgust. "Eww!" He said, shaking his head like he was a dog. All of the adults laughed.

Lori patted him on the back while she reached for his cup of wine he was no longer eager to have. "That's my boy. That's my boy." She said as she emptied his cup into her own wine glass. "Good boy."

"Yuck." Carl said, still shaking his head, trying to get the bitter taste from his mouth. "That tastes nasty." He said as Rick gave him a pat on the back with another laugh.

"You definitely don't wanna try this then." Kat said, as she held up her shot glass of vodka. Daryl raised his to his mouth and they both threw them back. He had a bottle of wine in one hand and a shot glass she would refill every now and then with the bottle of vodka in hers, in the other. They had finished eating and were standing, leaning, against the counter behind everyone.

"Well, just stick to soda pop there, bud." Shane said, looking around.

"Not you, Glenn." Daryl said as he walked around the table and came to Shane's side to grab Kat a glass she asked for.

"What?" Glenn asked, looking up from the wine bottle in his hands with a smile.

"Keep drinkin, little man. I wanna see how red your face can get." Daryl said, **actually smiling** at the young guy while he taunted him. Everyone laughed again, as he poured the wine into the glass in his hands, and refilled Shane's, before walking around the table back to Kat, handing her the glass.

Rick spared a glance at Jenner, who was sitting by himself at a table behind the group. He was the only one not laughing. He was just looking around at the joyous people in front of him. Rick grabbed the butter knife on his napkin and clinked it against his glass, calling everyone's attention. He stood up.

"It seems to me we haven't thanked our host properly." He said, looking around the group and then back at Jenner.

"He is more than just our host." T-Dog said, raising his glass into the air.

"Hear hear!" Dale said as he raised his glass along with everyone else in the room.

"Here's to you, doc." Daryl said as he raised the wine bottle, still clutched in his hand. "Booyah!" Everyone laughed and most of the men repeated after him.

"Booyah!" T-Dog said, loudly, as they all clinked their glasses together.

"Thank you." Rick said, looking at Jenner as he raised his glass to his lips.

Everybody was still chuckling when Shane decided to turn the evening in a more serious direction, making everyone quiet down at once. "So when are you gonna tell us what the hell happened here, doc?" He said. "All the, uh. The other doctors that were supposed to be figuring out what happened, where are they?" He said as he looked into his wine glass.

"We're celebratin, Shane." Rick said. "Don't need to do this now." He said as he sat back down.

"Whoa, wait a second." Shane said, holding up his hand. "This is why we're here, right? This was your move, supposed to find all the answers. Instead we-" He laughed before he continued. "We found him." He pointed to his left to Jenner with his thumb. "Found one man. Why?"

"Well, when things got bad, a lot of people just left, went off to be with their families." Jenner started to explain. First looking to Shane, then around to the group. "And when things got worse, when the military cordon got overrun, the rest bolted."

"Every last one?" Shane asked, sitting back in his chair.

"No. Many couldn't face walking out the door. They...opted out. There was a rash of suicides...That was a bad time." Jenner said, looking down at his cup.

"You didn't leave. Why?" Andrea asked.

"I just kept working, hoping to do some good." Jenner said to her as the group looked at the doctor for a few quiet seconds.

"Dude, you are such a buzzkill, man." Glenn said as he got up from his seat on top of another table and came closer to the group.

After everyone was finished with their meals they piled their plates on the counter next to the sink, before grabbing their bags. Jenner was going to show them where they could turn in for the night when they were all ready. They were all making their way to the door, past the alcohol, when Daryl saw Kat snag a bottle of Jack from the table and slip it in her bag. He smiled a little, she wasn't going to bed any time soon.

"Most of the facility is powered down including housing, so you'll have to make do here." Jenner said as he led them down even **more** hallways in the lower levels of the building. The rooms here could qualify as motel rooms or something of the sort. They each had a bathroom with a toilet, shower and sink. Luxuries everyone certainly missed, but the rooms were lacking beds. "The couches are comfortable, but there are cots in storage if you like." He said as he pointed to the open doors of the rooms as they walked by. "There's a rec room down the hall that you kids might enjoy." He said as he stopped and turned around to face the group. He looked down at the youngest members who were right behind him. Sophia was holding Eliza's doll to her chest. "Just don't plug in the video games, okay? Or anything that draws power. " He said as he bent over to be more eye level with them and gave them a smile, which they returned and nodded their heads. "The same applies," He said as he raised his voice and stood back up to the adults, "if you shower, go easy on the hot water." He said, pointing his finger back and forth before he turned around and walked down the hall to his office.

Glenn, who was standing behind the kids, turned around and faced the rest of the group with a smile on his face. "Hot water?"

"That's what the man said." T-Dog said from beside him as they both started laughing.

Everyone picked out rooms and put their stuff down. The first thing everyone took advantage of was the hot shower they had all missed so much. Kat had put Sam and Kaleb in one room, while she took her own, Dylan as well. She told them both to take a shower but they were more excited to go play in the rec room with Carl and Sophia, so she let them go. She was going to stand under that hot water for a good 20 minutes though.

After she was done, she changed into a loose pair of black yoga pants and her black DSO shirt, letting her damp hair hang around her shoulders. She grabbed the bottle of Jack from her bag, unscrewing the cap and walked out of her room. She was going to explore for awhile. She passed by Rick and Dale in the hallway on her way around the corner.

Rick made it to the landing and down the stairs from their rooms that led to the computer terminals, where he found Jenner. He knocked on the top of one of them as he approached. "How's the blood?" He said, walking over to the man, a bottle of wine he'd been drinking all night still in his hand.

"No surprises." Jenner said as he looked at Rick.

Rick continued until he came to the terminal next to the one Jenner was seated at. "I came to thank you." He said to the man with a smile.

"You did."

Rick smiled again as he went to lean against the terminal behind him. It ended up being a little further away than he thought it was in his inebriated state. His back hit the terminal as he slid to the floor with more force than he meant to.

"You all..you all right?" Jenner said as he watched the drunk man in front of him, who was breathing heavy.

"You don't know what it's like." Rick said as he bent his knees in front of him, propping his arm that held the wine bottle on one. He used his other to point briefly at Jenner before resting it on his other leg. Rick laughed as Jenner turned to face him. "You don't know what it's like out there." He said, leaning his head back against the terminal. "You may think you do, but you don't...We'd have died out there...It was only a matter of time. There's too many of those things...My, my boy...my-my wife, I never...I never told em what I really thought. I never even hinted, just...just kept it in. Kept it in and kept us moving, you know. Just kept it in. Kept us-"

"It'll all be okay." Jenner said to the man on the floor in front of him.. "It'll be okay."

Lori walked into the rec room with another glass of wine in her hands and a smile on her face after she changed her clothes from the shower. Carol turned around to look at her when she chuckled a bit. The older woman was lounging on a couch reading a book while the children were playing checkers with each other. Lori laughed a bit as she walked into the room more, coming closer to the small group. "Any good books?" She asked, looking at the various book shelves in the room. She walked over to look at a small little bar area at the side of the room.

"Uh huh." Carol said, closing the book she was reading and looking at the shelves in front of her. "Enough to keep us busy for years...All right. Come on, kids, it's bedtime." She said as she got up from the couch, grabbing another book she had set on the table in front of her.

"Baby, go say your prayers. I'm gonna browse a bit." Lori said as she walked over to the bookshelves.

"Come on," Carol said as she started walking towards the door out of the rec room that would lead back to their rooms. "This is the first night we might actually get some real sleep." She stopped, turning to look at Lori.

"Hmm." Lori said as she nodded her head in agreement.

"It's a miracle, isn't it?" Carol said, pointing to her daughter before leading the children to the door again.

Lori was looking at the titles at the books on the shelves when she stopped on one she remembered reading reviews for in a magazine. She decided to pull it off the shelf and read the back as she took a sip of her wine.

Shane walked into the room from a side door he'd found in his drunken adventures around the building. 'Gettin the feel of the place' he probably would've said if someone asked him what he was doing, when really, he'd gotten lost down all the different hallways this damn building had. He looked at Lori, who's back was to him as she read the back cover of the book. She had on a long-sleeved button down night shirt that came to about her mid thigh and a pair of Rick's boxer shorts on underneath. She put the book back before pulling another one off the shelf. He looked at her for a few more seconds before pulling the door he was at shut, making it slam.

She jumped and turned around, looking at him. She let out a sigh. "Jesus, you scared me."

Shane leaned against the door frame and looked at her. "I'm gonna tell you a few things and you're gonna listen to me."

"Now is not the time." She said, raising the glass to her lips and looking down at the book in her hands. Shane laughed.

"Come on. When is it ever the time?" He said, leaning off the wall and walking to the middle of the room. If she wanted to get back to her room, she'd have to walk past him to do it. He too, still had a bottle of alcohol in his hands.

Lori stood up straight from the bookshelf and began walking towards him.

"How can you treat me like this?" He asked as she came right in front of him.

"You're kidding, right?"

"No. Huh-uh." He said, shaking his head.

"Because you told me my husband was dead." She said as she walked past him in the direction of the door.

"Jesus, Lori. I didn't lie to you, all right. I didn't." He said as he turned around, trying to beat her to the door. "Do you know what it was like there? Huh?" He rushed around her and grabbed the open door, closing it and standing in front of it. "Stop. Things were falling apart. They were slaughtering people in the hallways. It was a massacre. There were Walkers everywhere."

"So you left him?"

"Everybody else ran. There were no doctors there. It was just me. He was hooked up to machines and I did not know what to do." He raised his voice, talking with his hands with every sentence. "I even took my ear and I put it on his chest and I listened for a heartbeat and I did not hear one. And I-I-I-I- I don't know why. Maybe it was gunfire. I don't know what it was, but there was no way he could've survived that." Shane said, kicking the door behind him. "No way."

"He did."

"Yeah," Shane said as he closed the distance between them, causing her to start walking backwards. "But then I had y'all to think about, didn't I?" He said, pushing her back more, becoming more aggressive. "I had you and Carl, and I needed to think about- I had to get you guys safe to Atlanta." Lori sat down on the chair to the piano that was behind her, setting her glass down next to her on the seat.

"Okay. No no." Lori said as she went to put her hands on his shoulders, thinking maybe he would let her get up.

"That's what I had to do." He pushed her back onto the seat as she tried to get up. "Just stop. If you thought for one second that he was alive, would you have come?" He said as he pointed at her. She just looked at him. "So I saved your life- you and your little boy's. That's what I did." He said, finally lowering his voice. "Right?" He whispered.

Lori looked at him wide eyed. She'd never seen him like this, he'd never been forceful with her or raised his voice at her before.

"Okay." He whispered. "And if I could've traded places with him, I would have. I would trade places with him right now because- No no no, you-"

"No no no. No." Lori tried to stop him, knowing where this was heading. He gently grabbed her neck, holding her there, as he looked in her eyes.

"I love you. Shh Shh."

"No. No, you're drunk." Lori said as she tried to lean away from him.

"I love you."

"No, you're drunk."

"And I know there were some things that say that you love me too, because there's no way that you could've been with me the way that you were." Shane said as he tried to pull her in for a kiss, while she was fighting him the whole time.

"Shane. Shane. Shane!" She said as he kept trying. She was pulling at his hands and pushing against him while she tried to lean away and get up from her seat.

"Just- okay, stop." He said as he grabbed her by the waist with one hand and tried to hold her still in the seat. He grabbed her, hard, by the chin and jaw with his other as he tried to kiss her again. "Listen. You love me."

"Get your hands off me." Lori said as she pushed at his chest, trying to get up again. "Get your hands off me."

"I love you. There's nobody here."

"Please! Ah!" She shouted as he brought his hand between her legs to her center as she reached for his wrist trying to push him away.

"Stop, Lori. It's all right. Just-"

Lori was pushing him away again as she brought her hand to his neck and gripped onto the flesh she found there. She put her other hand on his chest and with a shout she pushed him with all her might, standing up. He finally let go of her, her nails ripping into his skin as he pulled away, leaving several red scratch marks on his neck and jaw. He brought his hand to his mouth as his back hit the door. They stared at each other for a few seconds before he turned and hit the wall next to the door with his fist. He opened to door and walked out, closing it behind him. Leaving Lori there to catch her breath after what had just happened. She brought her hands into her hair as she started to cry.

* * *

Shane was wondering the hallways again as he settled down from what just happened. It hadn't gone at all how he had planned. He wanted her to be all over him while it was just the two of them in that room. He made his way all the way back through the side door of the rec room again, on his tour. Seeing no one inside anymore, he shut the door behind him and walked to the other door that would lead to the rooms.

Mixed with the anger, the alcohol still flowing through him, and the rejection he had received from Lori, Shane was sauntering through the hall of the CDC trying to remember which room, exactly, he had put his stuff in. Everything looked the same. He just wanted to get into the privacy of his room, strip down and maybe have some time with himself since no one else would obviously be helping him tonight.

As he rounded the corner, he could see Kat coming his way. _She must've been wonderin around this big place too_. They didn't get off on the right foot, but he didn't care at this point. Maybe she was drunk enough. He'd been looking at everyone around the table earlier at dinner and caught her and the redneck taking some shots together and chatting. _Why the hell's she so cozy around him?_ He thought. _She knew him before, big deal._ He knew she had been drinking hard liquor most of the night. And judging by the half empty bottle of Jack Daniels hanging from her left hand, she wasn't planning on turning in just yet.

She saw him as soon as he turned the corner, but chose to ignore him as she made her way to the rec room. She planned on grabbing some books and kicking her feet up while she read and drank some more. She was stopped when he got closer, putting his arm out in front of her face, resting his hand on the wall and blocking her path. He looked down at her pretty face, which was almost a full foot shorter than his, and into those eyes. You couldn't tell what color they were, living on a border between green and blue, with that darker ring around the edge. They were a little glossed over from the liquor but that didn't inhibit her from the little glare she was giving him. He gave her a lazy smile, turning his head partially to hide the scratches that Lori had given him when he tried his luck with her earlier. He didn't know he'd be walking away with a lot more than that in a few minutes.

"Why dontcha come 'ere and take care of me baby girl," Shane slurred, licking his lips as he pushed her against the wall. He caused her back to hit it harder than he intended to as he stumbled into her. Kat could hear footsteps coming from the corner down the hall and she half hoped it was Rick. Shane was too distracted with the proximity of her to notice. He pressed

himself into her hip, wanting her to feel him.

Daryl heard something bang into the wall after he heard Shane's voice, but it was the voice he heard next that caused him to pick up his pace. He'd decided to get up and look around for her awhile after he heard her leave her room, which was next to his. He was sick of drinking all of the wine Jenner had and she'd stolen the only bottle of Jack. He was saving the Southern Comfort he took to his room for a rainy day.

"Yeah, I don't think so." Kat said, as she raised her hands to Shane's chest to push him off. He grabbed at her wrists and squeezed, causing her to drop the closed bottle to the floor. He brought her arms above her head and pinned them to the wall. "Get the fuck off." She raised her voice just as Daryl came around the corner, the scene ahead of him making his blood boil. She gave Shane a few seconds to let her go, moving her leg so it was in between his. When he didn't, she brought her knee right up between his legs with as much force as she could in her current position. Daryl was about to yank him off of her when she sent the man flying backwards, shouting in pain and grabbing at his groin. He leaned against the wall of the hallway behind him, taking quick breaths. He looked up at her as he tried to straighten up. Daryl had come closer at this point, standing a few feet from Kat. He passed looks between the two of them.

"Fine. Let the hillbilly give ya a ride." He said as he nodded his head towards Daryl. "Wouldn't want ya to take care of me anyway...You couldn't even take care of that pipsqueak of a brother." He said as he stood to his full height.

"Wanna run that by me again?" She said. Her hands were almost tingling. She brought them to her sides and made them into tight fists. An action that didn't go unnoticed by Daryl. He'd had to do the same thing a few times to stop himself from hitting one of the people in this group. Or his brother. Or some other idiot from his days before all of this. She wanted to hit something. Hard. And he had a pretty good feeling it was going to be the asshole in front of her.

Shane let out a scoff and smiled, looking down at her across from him. "Or what? You gonna climb up here and teach me a lesson, lil girl?" She took a step towards him. A step was all she needed to get closer in the small hallway.

"No. You're gonna come down here." She closed the small space between them and planted her knee right in it's previous spot, causing Shane to bend over, grabbing his manhood once again. But she wasn't done. Now that his face was more her height, she brought her arm back and sent her already closed fist right into the side of his face. Before he could stumble out of her grasp, she placed both hands on the back of his head and brought it down on her raised knee, slamming it into her knee cap. She took joy in watching his head snap back like a bobble head. He fell back and landed on the floor behind him, sitting with his back against the wall, legs spread in front of him. He opened his eyes and shook his head a bit to clear the stars from his vision, just in time to see her leaning over to pick up the bottle of Jack she'd dropped on the ground. She'd completely forgotten Daryl was standing a few feet away from her with a shit eating grin on his face. With tunnel vision, she raised the bottle over her head and was about to cause more damage when Daryl came up behind her and grabbed her wrist. He folded her arm over and made it rest against her stomach. He held it there, tight, as she tried to slip away. With his free arm, he wrapped it around her waist, pulling her back against him and away from Shane. She brought her free hand up and put it on the strong arm around her as she pushed back against him, trying to get away. _Please stop moving like that_. He thought. She had thin yoga pants on. He hadn't bothered slipping another pair of boxers on after his shower, and coupled with the thin fabric of his worn down cargo pants, her pushing and rubbing against him was causing friction in all the right places at the wrong time.

"He's done." Daryl said as he backed away from Shane, in the direction of the rec room. "'Sides, don't wanna waste the rest of that Jack...Come on, now. Settle down." He said as he leaned back slightly, picking her up off the floor. He half-carried her to the rec room that was just around the corner at the end of the hall.

The further she got from Shane, the less she was struggling against him. _Thank God_. He couldn't reach the end of the hall fast enough. Her still being flush against his front was pushing his limits of self control. He didn't know how much longer he'd be able to keep himself in check before blood started pumping downwards. He made his way down the rest of the hall and into the room, releasing her from his grasp the second they passed the door's threshold. He closed the door and turned around, placing his hands on either side of the doorway. He took a deep breath before he turned back around to her. She wasn't facing him and had started walking to the counter island in the small kitchenette and pulled up a chair as she sat down. She placed the bottle in front of her on the counter and stared at it.

The adrenaline that was slowly dissipating and the alcohol still swimming through her veins had held off her thought process for a minute. All she wanted to do before was make him bleed. But now that she was just sitting there, she was letting Shane's words get to her. She was interrupted when Daryl pulled a chair up next to her at the counter, dragging it on the floor the whole way. She brought her eyes over to him as she reached for the bottle. She unscrewed the cap, throwing it over her shoulder, and took a quick swig before pushing the bottle towards him.

He watched her carefully. He could tell she was thinking too hard about what the man said. The way her eyebrows pulled together slightly and her face fell a little when she thought he wasn't looking as he took drinks. She sighed as he pushed the bottle back to her. They stayed like that for a few minutes. Enjoying the comfortable silence the two of them could easily share without it being awkward. After a few more shots, and Kat still deep in thought between the burns of the whiskey, Daryl turned towards her a little.

"Remind me to never piss ya off." He said, managing a small smirk, letting her know he was only joking.

"I'll do that." She said as she propped her head up with her hand. They each took another shot, already feeling the effects of the alcohol, but both silently agreeing they were going to finish that bottle whether they left this room or not. He pushed the bottle back to her.

"Kinda hot seeing ya in full attack mode though." He slurred with raised eyebrows. _Fuck_. _Did that really just weasel it's way out_. He'd been thinking it in his head, but didn't mean for it to come out of his mouth. His cheeks were flushed, but not from the Jack.

Kat saw the color change, noting the mishap he made and let out a small closed mouth laugh. "That wasn't even half." She said. He looked towards her and raised an eyebrow. She shrugged her shoulders with another shot. She put the bottle down with a sigh. "He just really...pushed my buttons tonight." She said, focusing her eyes on the bottle. She started picking at the sticker label. He nodded, watching her fingers.

"You shoulda let me hit him again." She fake pouted with her eyebrows raised, causing a corner of his mouth to pull up.

"That wouldnta done nothing. Other than maybe piss Rick off after Shane tried to feed 'im a bullshit story."

Kat shrugged her shoulders again. "Would've made me feel better." She said, looking at him. She looked into his eyes for a moment before looking away. "You know...he tried not to show it, but he was so scared...Blake." The remnants of the half smile he wore slipped away at the mention of the youngest Carsen. "At the beginning he was constantly glued to my side..Especially after I told them what I did...But he'd still cry or panic whenever he would hear or see one at first." She said, lifting the bottle to her lips again for another gulp. "I looked at him and told him I would never let one of those things touch him...I failed him." She looked into his eyes, hers threatening tears. He shook his head as he looked at her. "Daryl...He looked into my eyes and he trusted me." She shook her head, almost trying to shake away the water in her eyes.

"You didn't fail him...The world ain't what it used to be." He said, propping his head up on his hand.

A small laugh escaped her lips as she brought her fingers to her eyes to dab at the few tears that slipped over her lids as she set her elbows on the counter. "I don't think I've cried this much in my life as I have the last few days." She let her fingers come to rest at her temples as she held her head up.

"Ain't like you don't have a reason." He said, pushing the bottle to her.

"And this probably isn't helping." She said, laughing a bit as she took the bottle again.

"Sure it is. Just gotta get that buzz goin again."

"Yeah, that was a little sobering, huh?"

They sat there with each other until they finished the bottle. Remembering old times at the bar, how life used to be. At dinner and now, this was more the Daryl she knew before. Before this world closed everyone down. They left the empty bottle on the counter as they slowly made their way to the door of the rec room with a little help from each other. Daryl had a smile on his face as she was at his side having a giggling fit after he tripped over his own feet. They made their way down the hall, swaying back and forth, bumping into each others arms every once and a while. They saw Glenn make his way around the corner at the end of the hall, using the wall for support.

"Hey, Glenn." Kat smiled at the young man. He looked up at her with glossy eyes and gave her a small wave as he tried to keep his mouth shut tight. He knew if he opened it, he'd throw up all over the hall. He wanted to at least get to his room, which was a few doors down, across from her's and Daryl's. _Just a few more feet_. Daryl smirked at the kid. He knew that look. They walked the few more steps to their rooms. He had taken the one next to hers earlier that night, so they stood at the wall between the doors as Glenn made his way past them, into his room, not even bothering to close his door. They watched as he disappeared into the doorway then looked back to each other for a moment. Daryl looked down at her lips as he leaned against the wall. He wanted his on them so bad. He'd never been one for kissing, much. With the couple women he'd been with in his life, he hadn't kissed them. Just used them to get the job done and left. His only real kiss was in highschool and a couple quick ones after that. But he **wanted** to kiss her. Wanted to feel her on him. Maybe it was the alcohol waking a certain part of him up a bit, but he really just wanted to push her up against the wall and make out with her right in the hallway. But no, he wouldn't do that. A kiss goodnight wouldn't hurt right? The Jack was giving the little extra push he needed. _What the hell?_ He licked his lips and was about to lean down. But Glenn retching from the room across from them stopped him before he even got close. Kat closed her eyes and smiled as Daryl hung his head, shaking it back and forth. He brought his head back up and put his elbow on the wall. He squeezed the bridge of his nose with his fingers before opening his eyes and looking back down at her. _If it wasn't one thing it was another_. She looked up at him under heavy eye lids and bit the side of her lip with a smile.

"Night, Daryl."

"Night." He said before she turned to her door and disappeared behind it. Daryl heard her lock click. He looked over into Glenn's room seeing the young man make his way out of the bathroom and to the cot before plopping down on it. Daryl let out a small laugh before he turned around and walked into his own room.

* * *

The next morning, most of the group was around the same table in the cafeteria they had ate at last night. Only this time around, a little worse for wear. T-Dog was in the kitchen area behind the counter making breakfast for everyone. Kat stood in front of the counter behind Glenn, leaning against it, sipping a cup of coffee.

"Morning." Glenn mumbled from his seat next to Dale as Rick walked into the room.

"Mornin." Rick said as he got to the table.

"Are you hungover?" Carl said as he looked up at his dad from his bowl of cereal with a smile. Lori, who was sitting next to him, looked at her son. "Mom said you'd be." He said as Rick sat down at the end of the table, next to Lori.

"Mom is right." Rick smiled at his son as he sat back in his chair and grabbed a bottle of Aspirin off of the table in front of him.

"Mom has that annoying habit." Lori said as she ripped her piece of bacon into smaller strips, chewing the piece that was already in her mouth. Rick looked down to his hands as he tried to open the bottle of Aspirin.

"Eggs! Powdered, but..but I do 'em gooood." T-Dog said as he walked around the counter to the table with a skillet. Glenn let out a moan at the sound of food. Jacqui who had just entered the room, came up next to him and put her arms around his shoulders, comforting him, as he leaned over his plate, holding his head up with the side of his hand.

"I bet you can't tell." T-Dog said. Dale chuckled a little at Glenn. T-Dog began sliding some of the powdered eggs on everyone's empty plates. "Protein helps the hangover." He said with a smile as he put some on Glenn's plate, pulling another sickly moan from the young man. Jacqui was standing behind the poor guy, massaging his shoulders.

"Where'd all this come from?" Rick said as he held up the bottle he was struggling with.

"Jenner." Lori said.

"Could you help me, please?" Rick said, handing her the childproof bottle of Aspirin he couldn't open.

She took the bottle from him, wiping her hands off on her legs. "He thought we could use it."

"Thank you."

"Some of us, at least." She said, looking across the table at poor Glenn.

Jacqui had taken a seat next to him and still had her hands on his shoulders. "Don't ever ever ever let me drink again." He said looking down at his plate of food, still propping his head up with his hand on his forehead.

"Hey." Shane said as he walked in. After he managed to get into his room last night, he put some cold compresses on his head to offset some of the bruising he would've had from the beating Kat gave him last night, though some of it was still apparent. He walked right past Kat, not even looking at her. He kept his eyes on the ground.

"Hey." Rick said, turning his head in the direction of Shane as the man walked past him to grab a cup of coffee on the counter at the far end of the room.

"Feel as bad as I do?" Rick said from the table. T-Dog started walking to the end counter to get his own cup.

"Worse." Shane said, pouring himself a cup.

"The hell happened to you?" T-Dog said as Shane turned around to head back to the table. He was looking at the reddened, slightly bruised area under Shane's right eye that was swelling a little from where his head made contact with Kat's knee. She smiled as she brought her cup to her mouth.

"Was a little too drunk last night. Fell." He said.

"Your neck?" T-Dog asked again, seeing the scratch marks that Lori had given him on the left side of his head. Kat hadn't even noticed them before as she was busy admiring her handy work. She knew for sure **she** hadn't been the one that had given him those scratches.

"Must've done it in my sleep." Shane said as he sat down at the end of the table across from Rick.

"Never seen ya do that before." Rick said, looking at his friend.

"Me neither..Not like me at all." Shane said, sending a look to Lori. Kat noticed the exchange, as Lori looked at him and shook her head slightly. It had went unnoticed by everyone else, but Kat pulled her eyebrows together a little.

"Mornin'." Jenner said as he walked into the room to join the group.

"Hey, doc." Shane greeted him.

Dale looked to Andrea who was next to Shane as she gave him a nod. "Doctor, I don't mean to slam you with questions first thing," Dale said.

Jenner was at the counter pouring himself some coffee. "But you will anyway."

"We didn't come here for the eggs." Andrea said as she looked at the man's back before he turned around.

Daryl walked into the room and made his way to the table. He grabbed a plate of food and was going to sit down before he noticed Kat standing back against the counter.

"Let's let everyone eat first." Jenner said, looking around at the group.

Daryl walked over to Kat and stood next to her. "Morning." She said as he leaned back against the counter and dug into his food. He responded with a grunt as he shoved another fork full of eggs into his mouth. Her plate was sitting behind her at the counter. She had already ate what she wanted to. She was one of the first ones in the kitchen with T-Dog. Daryl looked up to everyone at the table as everyone else started entering the room and gathering around. His eyes landed on Shane's face and he let out a little chuckle. Kat was watching Dylan and her two younger brothers come in, rubbing the sleep out of their eyes. She turned to Daryl and followed the path his eyes were on when she looked at Shane. She laughed a little and brought her cup to her mouth again. "He won't even look at me." She said quietly.

"Good." Daryl said with a mouth full of food.

* * *

Everyone followed Jenner into the room with the computer terminals after they'd finished eating. He set his coffee mug down on the table at his station and pressed a button on the keyboard. He was greeted with a beep, letting him know the computer was ready for a command.

"Give me a playback of TS-19." Jenner said out loud.

"Playback of TS-19." Vi's voice said, echoing in the large room.

There was another round of beeps as the large screen in front of all the terminals came on. The screen was slowly being filled with different images of what looked like MRI's and different views of a brain.

_Finally, maybe some answers._ Kat thought.

"Few people ever got a chance to see this. Very few." Jenner said as everyone gathered around.

The screen had 4 smaller images to the left of the screen while the remaining right side, had a larger image. As the image completely loaded, you could clearly see the brain of the subject as it was slightly brighter than the rest of the image, to bring your focus away from the skull and outline of the face.

"Is that a brain?" Carl said as he looked at the giant screen in front of them and then to Jenner.

"An extraordinary one." Jenner said as he looked at the boy. "Not that it matters in the end." He said as he looked back at the screen. "Take us in for EIV."

"Enhanced internal view." Vi said as the screen changed. The larger image on the right took up the whole screen then, covering up the smaller images that were on the left, and the way you saw the image changed. It went from the subject sitting up, looking directly ahead, to laying down, giving you a side view of its profile, focusing on the head. You could vaguely see the outline of the face and skull again, but the main focus was the brain of the blue image. You could see the entire brain lighting up, small threads of light going in every direction. The image zoomed in, taking the viewers inside the brain. Giving a close up view of the little ripples of light dancing all over the screen. It reminded Kat of bits of sunlight shining through water to the ocean floor.

"What are those lights?" Shane said from the seat he had taken on one of the chairs around the computers.

Daryl looked at the man before sparing a glance at Kat who was a few feet from him, staring wide eyed at the screen. This is what she had come here for. He looked back at the screen.

"It's a person's life. Experiences, memories." Jenner said, turning to the group behind him, but pointing behind him at the screen. "It's everything." He said, turning back around. "Somewhere in all that organic wiring, all those ripples of light, is you- the thing that makes you unique. And human."

Daryl crossed his hands over his chest, resting them slightly under his biceps. "You don't make sense ever?"

"Those are synapses," Jenner said, looking back at him, "electric impulses in the brain that carry all the messages. They determine everything a person says, does or thinks from the moment of birth to the moment of death." He said, watching the screen take you on a tour of the subject's brain, all the while shooting ripples of light in every direction.

"Death? That's what this is, a vigil?" Rick said, stepping closer to the doctor.

"Yes." Jenner said. "Or rather the playback of the vigil."

"This person died?" Andrea said, looking at the screen but also stepping closer. "Who?"

"Test Subject 19." Jenner answered as Andrea looked over at him beside her. "Someone who was bitten and infected...and volunteered to have us record the process." He looked back at the screen. "Vi, scan forward to the first event."

"Scanning to first event." Vi said. There was the sound of beeping as the computer processed the command. The image zoomed out from inside the subject's brain, giving the view of its profile again as the video scanned forward.

Within the blue image, among the ripples of blueish white light in the brain, was a black mass forming. Small ripples of red light spreading through it.

"What is that?" Glenn said, looking at the black mass, that was slowly spreading through the brain. Little branches of black reaching in every direction, making itself bigger.

"It invades the brain like meningitis." Jenner said, pointing back and forth at the image. You could see the outline of the subject start to have trouble breathing, like it was gasping for breath as the black mass took over it's brain. "The adrenal glands hemorrhage, the brain goes into shutdown, then the major organs." He said as the blueish ripples of light slowly started to fade before the whole brain finally went dark and the subject stopped moving. "Then death...Everything you ever were or ever will be...gone."

Andrea closed her eyes as she let her head fall, remembering her sister.

"Is that what happened to Jim?" Sophia asked as she looked at her mom.

"Yes." Carol nodded at her and taking her hand before looking back to the screen.

Andrea drew in a shaky breath and looked away from the screen, trying not to cry. Jenner looked over at her, noting that she was upset.

"She lost somebody two days ago. Her sister." Lori said.

"So did Kat and her brother's..Their baby brother." Carol said, nodding at the young woman by Daryl.

Jenner looked at Kat, who's eyes were glued to the screen, waiting, watching. He looked back at Andrea and took a few steps closer to her. "I lost somebody too. I know how devastating it is." Andrea looked up at him before he turned back to the screen.

"Scan to the second event." He said, taking steps towards the screen.

"Scanning to second event." Vi said as the screen scanned forward once again.

"The resurrection times very wildly. We had reports of it happening in as little as three minutes. The longest we heard of was eight hours. In the case of this patient, it was two hours, one minute...seven seconds." Jenner said as he looked at the screen.

At the brain stem, where the black mass originated from before it slowly spread, flickers of red light began to dance on the screen. But only occupying that small space, some spreading out farther, but only for a second at a time. Everyone looked at the screen, confused. Kat included.

"It restarts the brain?" Lori said.

"No, just the brain stem. Basically, it gets them up and moving." Jenner said.

"But they're not alive?" Rick said, walking closer to the railing around the platform, closer to the screen.

"You tell me." Jenner said looking at the man, holding a hand out towards the screen as Rick came to his side.

Rick looked at the screen, shaking his head a bit. "It's nothing like before. Most of that brain is dark."

"Dark, lifeless, dead...The frontal lobe, the neocortex, the human part, that doesn't come back. The **you** part...Just a shell driven by mindless instinct." Jenner said as the subject on the screen slowly began to move.

Daryl looked down at Kat, who he'd scooted a few steps closer to. She had her eyebrows pulled together and was shaking her head. She let her mouth come open as she let out a deep breath.

"You seen this before?" He asked quietly as he leaned down to her.

She turned her head towards him, eyes still on the screen before she looked at him, but only for a second. "No." She shook her head and looked back at the screen. "What **I** know about anyway...No." Kat looked at the screen. This was nothing like T or G. They affected the body's cells first, changing them to something different, and slowly made their way to the brain last. The scans from them didn't look anything like this body's scan. This only affected the brain. _This is completely different. Something entirely new._

Something entered the camera at the top of the screen. There was a bright flash of light as you saw a line go through the center of the subject's head, darkening the brain for the last time.

"God. What was that?" Carol said as she looked at the screen.

"A bullet." Kat answered, looking at the floor before looking to Jenner.

"He shot his patient in the head." Andrea looked at the screen one last time. "Didn't you?"

"Vi, power down the main screen and the workstations." Jenner said as he turned towards the group and back to the computer he left his mug at.

"Powering down main screen and workstations." Vi said as the screen went black, along with all of the computer screens in the room, causing it to become a little dimmer. The overhead lights being the only light in the room.

"You have no idea what is it, do you?" Andrea said as she looked at him, crossing her arms over her chest. Everyone looked at the doctor.

"It could be microbial, viral, parasitic, fungal." He said.

"Or the wrath of God?" Jacqui said.

"There is that."

"So it isn't..any kind of virus..that you know of?" Kat said, choosing her words carefully. It seemed to work, as no one in the room really noticed. Of course other than her brothers and Daryl. But they didn't let on that they knew anything.

Jenner turned and looked at her, finally noticing the DSO emblem on the left side of her shirt above her chest. They were who sent them the first few calls about testing tissue for the T and G viruses to rule them out. "No." He said as he brought his eyes back to her face. He raised his eyebrows slightly at her, letting her know he knew who she was with. She looked back at the now black screen and sighed.

"Somebody must know something. Somebody somewhere." Andrea said, coming closer.

"There are others, right? Other facilities?" Carol asked.

Jenner looked around the room. "There may be some. People like me."

"But you don't know? How can you not know?" Rick asked.

"Everything went down. Communications, directives- all of it. I've been in the dark for almost a month."

"So it's not just here." Andrea said. "There's nothing left anywhere? Nothing? That's what you're really saying right?"

Jenner didn't answer. He just looked at the ground.

"For fuck's sake." Kat laughed, causing everyone to look at her. She had her arms crossed over her chest and had backed herself up to the terminal behind Daryl. Leaning against it on her side, to face the group. She brought her hand up and closed her eyes, rubbing at her forehead with a smile on her face. She couldn't fucking believe this, it couldn't be true. Worldwide?

Andrea scoffed. "Jesus."

Everyone just looked around the room, completely taken aback.

"Man, I'm gonna get shit-faced drunk. Again." Daryl said, shaking his head as he turned around and walked to the computer terminal behind him. Kat looked at him as he made his way to her. He rubbed at his eyes before letting his elbows rest on the terminal, standing in front of Kat. He held his head in his hands. She took her hand from her head and put on his back, rubbing up to his shoulder before crossing it back over her chest. He normally didn't like being touched but he took a little comfort in the small gesture she'd just made, almost wanting it again before Dale spoke up.

"Dr. Jenner, I know this has been taxing for you and I hate to ask one more question, but," Dale said as he walked towards the far side of the platform, pointing to a large digital timer on the far wall, "that clock- it's counting down." Everyone looked to the large red numbers as they changed from an hour to 59 minutes. "What happens at zero?" He asked, turning around and looking at Jenner. Daryl stood up from the terminal.

"The..basement generators- they run out of fuel." Jenner said as he turned away.

"And then?" Rick said, looking at Jenner who was walking towards the exit of the room. Everyone watched him walk away. Not answering the question. "Vi, what happens when the power runs out?" Rick said.

"When they power runs out, facility-wide decontamination will occur." Vi said over the speakers. Kat stood up straight. She was familiar with this procedure. Much too familiar, in her workings with Leon at the Umbrella facilities. They would purposely set it off before they escaped each time.

* * *

Vi hadn't switched the lights on in the stairwell just yet so the group had a couple flashlights lighting the path.

"Decontamination- what does that mean?" Glenn said as they made their way down the stairs to the basement. The group consisted of Glenn, Rick, Shane and T-Dog. The light's in the stairway clicked on.

"I don't like the way Jenner clammed up. The way he just wondered off like that." Shane said as they got to the bottom of another flight of stairs, which ended up being the final set.

"What's wrong with him? Seriously, man, is he nuts, medicated or what?" T-Dog said as he and Glenn came up behind Rick and Shane. They were looking at a map of the building that was on the wall at the bottom of the stairwell.

"In there." Rick said, looking to the door on his right. The four of them headed to the door.

The room was dark as they stepped in, the only light source being the stairway and their flashlights. As they walked further into the room, Vi switched the lights on as the camera picked them up. The overhead lights came on revealing the generator room. There were fuel drums everywhere. Rick looked around the large room for a second. "Check that way." He pointed to his right as he looked between Glenn and T-Dog. "Shane." He said as he walked off to his left, the man following him.

The men spread out and began looking through the room, both for the main generator and any fuel they could find.

Rick and Shane managed to find it first. He walked around the large generator to the control panel, hearing it working, trying to use every last bit of fuel it still had in it. Rick looked at the pump that was attached. Above it, it said 'Emergency Fuel Intake' and the fuel gauge, itself, was right above 'empty'.

He leaned over to push at the fuel drum the generator was hooked to. "It's empty." He said as Shane walked up to him. The man let out a sigh.

Just then, the generator made a clicking noise before the room went completely black.

"Emergency lighting on." Vi said over the speaker as much dimmer lights lit up the room.

"What the hell is this?" Shane said looking above him.

Glenn and T-Dog turned around and went in the direction the other two men walked off in as the emergency lights came on. "Hey, you guys kill the lights?" Glenn said as he jogged over to the two men, shining a flashlight on them.

"Nah, it just went out." Shane said as he looked at the panel on the generator.

"Anything?" Rick asked Glenn and T-Dog as they came closer.

"Yeah, a lot of dead generators and more **empty** fuel drums than I can count." T-Dog said as he came closer to the men.

Shane took his flashlight to shine it on the fuel gauge again. "It can't be down to just that one." He said as he looked at Rick.

* * *

"Why do we have to pack our stuff back up?" Sam asked as he looked at his sister, who was throwing their clothes from the night before back into the bags in their room.

"Yeah, I thought we were staying here." Kaleb said from his seat on the couch.

"Because we have to leave." She said as she picked up Sam's dirt covered jeans and put them into the bag.

"But why?" Kaleb asked.

"Just do as I say, all right?" Kat said as she stood up straight. She looked at the two boys and went to her room to put her own things into her bag before she went to find Rick. Dylan already knew what was going on so was putting his things away before he would help the boys make sure they had everything. She put her shoulder holster and her drop leg holster on as she put both her handguns in their places.

Down the hall in the Grimes' room, Lori heard the air conditioning shut off. She got up from the cot and stood below the vent in the room with her hand to it, not feeling any air flow.

Carl looked up from his science book Lori had him doing homework in to see his mother waving her hand around in front of the vent. "Mom?...Something wrong?"

"Uh, nothing. It's just...the air conditioning stopped." Lori said as she brought her hand to her side and turned towards her son. In a few moments, the lights in their rooms would shut off as well. Leaving only the lights in the hallway that led to the computer terminals on.

Jenner was sitting in his office, just around the corner from the rooms, that overlooked the large computer room. At his desk, he picked up a framed picture. He pulled a shaky breath in through his nose as he fought the urge to cry while his fingers traced the silver frame, staring at the woman looking back at him.

"I did the best I could in the time that I had...I hope you'd be proud of that." He said. He ran a finger over the woman's face before he set the picture frame back down on his desk. He looked at it one last time before he stood up, grabbing his ID card, and walked over to the glass wall that gave him an overhead view of the computer room. He put his hands in his pockets as he stared out into the empty room below him. He looked to the timer on the far end of the room. "We always think there's gonna be more time." He said as the sound of machinery shutting off echoed all around. The lights in his office and the surrounding areas, including everyone's rooms, turned off. "Then it runs out."

Everyone started to walk out of their rooms as Jenner made his way to their hallway.

"Why is the air off? And the lights in our room?" Carol said, looking at Lori who was leaning outside the door from the room next to her. Jenner just looked at them as he came around the corner, heading for the computer room. Kat leaned outside her door at the same time Daryl leaned out of his.

"Hey, what's goin on?" He said, looking down the hall, the bottle of SoCo hanging from his hand. "Why is everything turnin off?"

Jenner grabbed the bottle from his hand as he passed him. "Energy use it being prioritized." He said as everyone came out of their rooms, fully, and followed him down the hall.

"Air isn't a priority? And lights?" Dale said as Jenner passed him, taking a drink from Daryl's bottle of alcohol.

"It's not up to me. Zone 5 is shutting itself down." He said as he rounded the corner to the landing and stairs that would lead them to the computer room.

"Hey! Hey, what the hell's that mean?" Daryl said as he picked up his pace, walking around Dale and Andrea, trying to catch up to Jenner. "Hey, man, I'm talkin to you." Daryl said as he put his hand on Jenner's shoulder but the man kept walking. "Whatta you mean it's shuttin itself down? How can a buildin do anything?" He asked as the sound of more machinery shutting down was heard.

"You'd be surprised." Jenner said as he walked to the end of the landing to the stairs just as Rick and the small group that was with him ran into the room out of the basement's stairway door.

"Rick?" Lori said as she leaned over the rail of the landing, looking down at her husband. Rick held his hand up to her, seeing the panic on her face. Jenner and the others started down the stairs to meet them.

"Jenner, what's happening?" Rick said as he walked over to the man as he reached the bottom. Jenner continued to the computer platform in the center of the room.

"The system is dropping all the nonessential uses of power." He said, walking side by side with Rick. "It's designed to keep the computers running to the last possible second. That started as we approached to half hour mark. Right on schedule." He said, pointing toward the timer that now read 31 minutes. Jenner took another drink from the bottle as he came to the two steps that would bring him up onto the platform with the computer terminals. He stopped for a second, making everyone look at it. He held the bottle to Daryl who was at his other side. Daryl snatched it away from him, sending a bit of the alcohol flying out of the bottle to his left and onto the floor.

"It was the French." Jenner said as he looked at Andrea.

"What?" She looked at him.

"They were the last ones to hold out as far as I know. While our people were bolting out the doors and committing suicide in the hallways they stayed in the labs till the end...They thought they were close to a solution."

"What happened?" Jacqui asked.

Jenner turned and walked up the steps onto the platform before turning back to them. "Same thing that's happening here. No power grid. Ran out of juice...The world **runs** on fossil fuel. I mean, how stupid is that?" He said as he turned around and walked further into the computer terminals.

"Let me tell you something-" Shane said as he walked up the stairs.

Rick put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him back as he walked up the stairs with him. "To hell with it, Shane. I don't even care." He said. He turned around to the group behind him. "Lori, grab our things. Everybody, get your stuff. We're getting out of here **now**!"

"O-okay." Jacqui said, nodding her head. Just as everyone was backing away and about to head back up the stairs to their room, a loud alarm started blaring, a red light flashing from above the platform.

"What's that?" Shane said. Rick looked around, seeing the light go off overhead. He looked down as Carl came up to his side.

"What's that?" He said as he looked up at his dad. Rick put his hand on the back of Carl's head.

"30 Minutes to decontamination." Vi said as the large screen at the front turned on, putting the timer there. Jenner looked at the screen and walked to a control panel on the other side of the platform.

"Doc, what's goin on here, damn it!" Daryl yelled, still at the bottom of the steps on the other side of the platform.

Jenner swiped his ID over the card reader and put in a code.

"Everybody, y'all heard Rick. Get your stuff and let's go! Go now! Go!" Shane yelled as he turned around at everyone still standing on the floor around the platform.

"Let's go, let's go." T-Dog said and turned for the stairs.

"Come on!" Glenn yelled.

"Get those guns." Shane said to T-Dog.

Jenner put the last of the code in as everyone turned around and started away. Just then, a metal door quickly shot up from the floor at the main hallway that led to the computer platform. The hall that led to the elevator. With a loud clang, the door sealed their only exit to the floors above. Rick ran to the door but it was much too late.

"No." Glenn said, looking at the now sealed exit. "Did you just lock us in? He just locked us in!"

Jenner sat down at his station and turned on his video feed. "We've hit the 30 minute window. I am recording." He said into the camera. Everyone started to run over to the platform.

"Carl." Lori said as she came closer.

"Mom!"

Daryl turned and looked at Jenner. His face twisted in anger. He bolted for the couple platform stairs and quickly ran up them. "You son of a bitch!"

"Shane!" Rick yelled from his position by the sealed door. He pointed to Daryl, who was well past him at this point.

"You locked us in here!" Daryl yelled as he ran up behind Jenner.

"No, stop. Don't!" Glenn yelled, running towards the man.

"You locked us in here!" Daryl yelled again as he grabbed Jenner by the shoulder of his lab coat and attempted to yank him from the chair.

"No no no no! Don't!" Shane said as he came up behind Daryl at the same time he grabbed Jenner. Shane put his arms around Daryl's waist as he tried to pull the man back, making Daryl loose his grip on Jenner's jacket.

"Wait, no! No, don't do it!" T-Dog said as he ran up to help. Daryl lifted the bottle of whiskey he still had in his hands and was about to throw it at Jenner's head. But with Shane pulling him back and both men struggling with it, he couldn't get a good aim.

Kat ran up the platform, coming up behind Glenn who was still a few feet away from the fiasco in front of them. Daryl was practically growling as Shane moved his arms from his waist to the man's chest, picking him up and half carrying him away. T-Dog coming to his side, helping him. They put him down a few feet away behind a terminal.

"Hey, Jenner, open that door** now**." Rick said as he walked down from the door to the computers.

"There's no point. Everything topside is locked down. The emergency exits are sealed." Jenner said from his seat Daryl hadn't managed to pull him off.

"Well, open the damn things." Dale said.

"That's not something I control. The computers do. I told you once that front door closed, it wouldn't open again. You heard me say that." Jenner said, pointing his finger at Rick, who turned, looking at the people around him. "It's better this way." He said as Shane walked up to the other side of Jenner.

"What is?" Rick said as he looked back at the doctor. "What happens in 28 minutes?" Rick said, looking at the clock then to Jenner as he stepped closer to the man.

Jenner just turned around and went back to his keyboard. Typing in his log book for what would be the final time.

"What happens in 28 minutes?!" Shane yelled as he walked up behind Jenner and kicked at his chair.

"Come on!" Daryl yelled.

Jenner finally stood up and faced Rick again. "Do you know what this place is?!" He said, looking at the man before turning around and looking at Shane. "We protected the public from very nasty stuff!" He yelled into his face before looking around at the whole group. "Weaponized smallpox! Ebola strands that could wipe out half the country! Stuff you don't want getting out! Ever!" Everyone looked at the man for a second. He took a seat at his chair once again. Rick and Shane looked at each other, Daryl pacing back and forth in front of Kat, wanting to pounce on the man. Jenner took a deep breath. "In the event of a catastrophic power failure- in a terrorist attack for example- HITs are deployed to prevent any organisms from getting out."

"HITs?" Rick asked.

Daryl stopped when he heard Kat let out a breath. "You know what this is?" She didn't answer him, but she didn't have to. The look on her face was enough. This wasn't something good.

"Vi, define." Jenner said.

"HITS- high-impulse thermobaric fuel-air explosives consist of a two-stage aerosol ignition that produces a blast wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other known explosive except nuclear." Everyone looked around, beginning to panic or cry after hearing what was about to happen to them. "The vacuum-pressure effect ignites the oxygen between 5,000 and 6,000 degrees and is useful when the greatest loss of life and damage to structures is desired." Rick grabbed Lori and Carl, pulling them both into his chest.

"It sets the air on fire." Kat said, putting her arm around Kaleb as he came up and wrapped his arms around her waist, crying into her stomach.

Rick let go of his family and looked at Jenner as Lori knelt down to hold Carl against her.

"No pain." Jenner said. "An end to sorrow, grief...regret." Everyone looked at him, the sounds of Carol and the children crying in the background. "Everything."

Daryl looked at Kat and Kaleb and walked away towards the door, with Rick and Glenn following him. Rick pounded on it with his fists seeing how sturdy it was before turning back around. He looked at the time they had left on the screen and made the timer on his watch match so he could keep track where ever he was.

Daryl took a few steps back and threw the bottle of whiskey at the door in frustration. It busted against the solid metal, sending shards of glass all over the floor. He turned back around to Jenner. "Open the damn door!" He pointed behind him with his arm.

Jenner looked over to the small group but didn't make any movements.

"Out of my way!" Shane yelled as he ran up the platform to the door with an axe in his hand. Glenn walked back down the platform as Daryl and Rick leaned out of his way. He began hitting the door with the axe as soon as he got to it.

"Daryl!" T-Dog yelled, throwing another axe up to the man. Daryl caught it and spun around, planting himself next to Shane as the two continued to beat at the door. Grunting, heavy breathing and the clanging of the axes on the metal door was all you could hear from that side of the room.

Lori and Carol were both sitting on the ground with their backs to a computer terminal, their children in their laps, crying. Dylan was standing at Carol's side with both of his little brothers sitting next to her. Kat was standing at the base of the platform where the slant that led up to the door met the flat part the computers were on, pacing and biting at her nails as she watched Shane and Daryl hit the door.

"You should've left well enough alone. It would've been so much easier." Jenner said.

"Easier for who?" Lori said in an exasperated tone.

"All of you. You know what's out there-" He said as Rick walked backed over to him. "-a short, brutal life and an agonizing death." He looked at Andrea, who was also on the floor with her back resting against a terminal. "Your- your sister- what was her name?"

"Amy."

"Amy. You know what this does. You've seen it." He said. He looked at Rick. "Is that really what you want for your wife and son?"

"I don't want this." Rick said, bending over to get closer to his face as he pointed to the ground.

Daryl set his axe down by the door as he and Shane came down the platform. Shane set his axe down on top of the terminal on his way to Rick as Daryl stood by Kat a few feet away.

"Can't make a dent." Shane said, leaning over the terminal Rick was in front of, trying to catch his breath.

"Those doors are designed to withstand a rocket launcher." Jenner said, making it sound obvious as he looked at them.

"Well your head ain't!" Daryl yelled, grabbing Shane's axe from the terminal. He raised it above his head and was on a warpath towards Jenner.

"Whoa!" Kat yelled as she ran up behind Daryl.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Rick yelled and sprinted around the terminal to stand in front of Daryl. Kat saw Jenner stand up from his chair, ready to run if they couldn't hold the man back. _Why's he so scared, he's gonna die anyway_. Kat thought. Dale was at Daryl's side as he grabbed a hold of his shoulders, trying to push the man back. "Daryl! Daryl!" Rick yelled trying to restrain him. T-Dog ran around the back of him and came to his other side, holding onto the axe, trying to pry it from Daryl's hands. Kat came up beside Dale, grabbing onto the back of Daryl's shirt as the 4 of them tried to push him back. "Just back up! Back up!" Rick yelled as they all gave him a push. He let go of the axe, letting T-Dog take it from him as he spun around and walked to the other side of the terminal by Shane. He rested his hands on top of it, holding himself up as Kat came to his side.

"Look, I wanna chop his head off too right now, but he's the only one that knows the code to that door, okay?" Kat said as she looked at him. He just stared at her face before he pushed away from the terminal and started pacing again. _God, that man cannot hold still_.

"You **do** want this." Jenner said as he looked at Rick. "Last night you said you knew it was just a matter of time before everybody you loved was dead."

"What?" T-Dog said.

Rick looked at Lori, who was looking up at him.

"What? You really said that?" Shane asked. "After all your big talk?"

"I had to keep hope alive, didn't I?" Rick said.

"There is no hope. There never was." Jenner said as he looked at the man.

"There's always hope. Maybe it won't be you, maybe not here, but somebody somewhere-" He said as he stepped closer to Jenner again.

"What part of 'everything's gone' do you not understand?" Andrea said, who hadn't moved from the floor.

"Listen to your friend. She gets it." The doctor said, nodding to Andrea. "This is what takes us down. This is our extinction event." He said, sitting back down in his chair.

"This isn't right." Carol sobbed. "You can't just keep us here."

"One tiny moment- a millisecond. No pain." Jenner said, scooting his chair closer to her.

"My daughter doesn't deserve to die like this." Carol cried. She handed Sophia off to Dale as she got up. She needed a second to breath.

Shane was getting pissed off. He stood up from his place, bent over at the terminal, and walked towards his shotgun. If being threatened with a glass bottle and axe wasn't enough, maybe that would do the trick.

"Wouldn't it be kinder, more compassionate to just hold your loved ones and wait for the clock to run down?" Jenner said.

Shane cocked his gun as he made his way through the terminals and back to Jenner. Everyone turned around at the sound of the gun.

"Shane, no!" Rick said as Shane came up behind him. He put his arm over Shane's chest to push him back.

"Out of the way, Rick! Stay out of my way!" Shane yelled as he pushed Rick off to the side. He walked up to stand in front of Jenner, aiming the shotgun at his head. "Open that door or I'm gonna blow your head off. Do you hear me?!" Lori, who was still sitting on the floor right behind him got up, pushing Carl off to the side as they both got out of the way of the scene in front of them.

"Brother, brother, this is not the way you do this." Rick said, coming to Shane's side. "We will never get out of here."

"Shane, you listen to him." Lori said.

"It's too late." Shane said, not moving his gun.

"He dies, we all-" Rick said as Shane cut him off. The man let out a loud yell. "-we all die! Shane!"

Shane moved his shotgun to his left and shot at the computer terminals that were there, behind Jenner. Everyone in the room ducked as he let off 5 more shots before Rick grabbed the gun and turned it away from everyone. They wrestled with it for a second before Rick yanked it to the side, elbowing Shane in the jaw. Shane let go of the gun and fell to the ground as Rick raised the shotgun up at him, stock first, getting ready to knock him out with it if he needed to.

"Are you done now? Are you done?" Rick said, raising the gun again.

"Yeah, I guess we all are." Shane said looking up at him from the ground. Rick stood over him for another second before turning and walking towards T-Dog, handing him the gun. The man was quickly becoming the 'dangerous weapons holder'.

Rick looked around at everyone. Everybody staring back at him, their unspoken leader. "I think you're lying." He said, turning around to look at Jenner. Shane got up off the ground.

"What?" Jenner said.

"You're lying about no hope. If that were true, you'd have bolted with the rest or taken the easy way out. You didn't...You chose the hard path. Why?"

"It doesn't matter." Jenner said, shaking his head.

"It does matter. It always matters." Rick said, stepping closer to him, bending down to look at his face. "You stayed when others ran. Why?"

"Not because I wanted to." Jenner turned and looked at him as he stood up. "I made a promise...to her." He pointed at the big screen the images played on earlier. "My wife." A few quiet seconds passed as realization sunk in.

"Test Subject 19 was your wife?" Lori asked.

"She begged me to keep going as long as I could. How could I say no?" Jenner said. Daryl, who walked back over to the door, picked up his axe there and began hitting the metal again. "She was dying. It should've been me on that table. I wouldn't have mattered to anybody. **She **was a loss to the world. Hell, she ran this place. I just worked here. In our field, she was an Einstein. Me? I'm just...Edwin Jenner. She could've done something about this. Not me."

"Your wife didn't have a choice." Rick said. "You do. That's- that's all we want- a choice, a chance." Daryl could still be heard in the background at the door. Grunting with every swing of the axe. Each bang on the door, like the ticking of the clock that was still counting down.

"Let us keep trying as long as we can." Lori said, holding Carl to her, making Jenner turn around and look from Rick, to her. He looked around for a few seconds.

"I told you topside's locked down. I can't open those." He said as he walked past Rick, over to the keypad at the bottom of the platform. He scanned his ID card and put in the code.

Daryl, who was getting ready to swing the axe at the door again, stopped, as it disappeared into the floor from whence it came. "Come on!" He yelled as he looked back at everyone. "Let's go!" Shane and Dylan ran to get most of their bags before coming back to the door to meet everyone.

"Come on, let's go!" Glenn yelled as he started for the door. Everyone turned and started running for the now open exit. Everyone was shouting to go and move.

"There's your chance. Take it." Jenner said as he came back up to the platform to Rick.

"I'm grateful." Rick said to the man, offering up his hand to him again.

"The day will come when you won't be." The doctor said. He looked at Rick's hand before he took it in his own. He pulled Rick to him and placed his hand on the sheriff's shoulder as he leaned into his ear and whispered to him. Lori ran back down the platform to her husband as Jenner let Rick go, looking at him one more time, she grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the door.

"Hey, we've got four minutes left! Come on!" Glenn yelled at the remaining people on the platform from the door.

T-Dog ran down the platform, putting his arm around Jacqui as he pulled her to the door. "Let's go. Let's go, Jacqui."

"No no, I'm stayin." Jacqui said, pulling back from him. "I-I'm stayin, sweetie."

"But that's insane!" He said stepping towards her again, reaching for her arm.

"No, it's completely sane." She said as she stepped back from him, pushing his hand away. "For the first time in a long time. I'm not endin up like Jim and Amy." She said. Everyone looked at them down on the platform. Shane and Dylan had come back now, handing everyone their stuff. Shane, who was closest to Rick, handed him Daryl's crossbow. "There's no time to argue and no point, not if you want to get out. Just get out. Get out." She said, pushing at T-Dog's chest with tears in her eyes, before putting both of her hands on the sides of his face.

Shane walked down the platform to grab T-Dog's arm and pull him to the door. "T-Dog. Come on, man. Come on! Let's go! Let's go!"

Dale walked up to Jacqui. She just shook her head at him and backed away before turning around and walking towards Jenner. Dale looked over at Andrea who was standing at a terminal by the man.

"I'm staying too." She said as she looked at the older man who had became a father figure to the group.

"Andrea, no." He said. She turned around and sunk to the floor again. "Just go! Go!" He yelled at the group by the door, waving them to leave.

"Come on." Shane said as he patted Rick's shoulder and they all started to run down the hallway, towards the dark stairway that would lead them to the upper levels. Those that had flashlights got them out to light up the dark. Even if the elevator were powered on and working, it would be cutting it too short on time if they used it.

"Andrea, this- this isn't what Amy would want for you." Dale said as he ran to Andrea, kneeling down in front of her.

"She's dead, and you need to leave." She said, not looking in his eyes.

The rest of the group burst through the stairwell out into the lit up main building. Jenner was able to open the shutters but not the doors, so light from outside was flooding through the windows that made up the entire front of the building. T-Dog was the first to the doors and starting banging on them, trying to push them open.

"Get them doors open!" Glenn yelled.

"Come on!" T-Dog yelled as he banged against them again.

"It doesn't work!" Glenn yelled as he tried pushing against one.

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" T-Dog yelled as he ran over to the keypad at the door Jenner had used when they were first let in. "Exit." He said as he pressed the button. "Try it! Try it! Try it now!" He said, looking back at Glenn who pushed against the locked door again.

"Daryl!" Shane yelled behind him to the man as they ran up a few stairs to the windows.

Daryl had both of the axes in his hands so he threw one up to Shane and came up next to the man as they started banging away at the glass. "Come on! Come on!" Daryl yelled. The axes weren't even making a dent in the glass. The men kept swinging, grunting with the force of the hits they were giving.

Andrea looked over to the time clock on the wall. "Time's almost up." She said, making Dale look over. **3 minutes, 11 seconds.**

"Daryl, look out!" T-Dog said.

Daryl turned around and jumped off the small landing as T-Dog ran up with a metal chair and began slamming it into the glass, yelling with each hit. Rick walked closer to them, putting Daryl's bow on the floor.

"Oh, damn it." Kat said as she turned away from the windows and to her bag over Dylan's shoulder. "T, if axes didn't chip it, I don't think a chair's gonna." She unzipped her bag and dug through it for her Assault Rifle. She pulled it out and jammed a magazine in.

Shane, seeing her start for the window, grabbed his shotgun and reloaded it. "Dog, get down! Get down!" He yelled as he and Kat ran up to the windows and both took aim. Every one ducked. They both fired at the same time and the bullets all but bounced off the glass. "Jesus." He said as they backed away. Kat stepped back towards Daryl. She clicked the safety of her AR on, as it wasn't doing any good, and slung it over her back from it's strap.

"The glass won't break?" Sophia said.

"Rick, I have something that might help." Carol said, digging through her bag as she walked up to him.

"Carol, I don't think a nail file's gonna do it." Shane said as he looked at the windows again.

"Your first morning at camp, when I washed your uniform I found this in your pocket." She said as she pulled out a grenade. Rick looked down at it in her outstretched hand. He grabbed it and turned towards the windows.

"Come on." She said to Sophia and hurried her away.

"Look out!" Glenn yelled. Everyone ran for what cover they could, as Rick walked over to the window that had taken a severe beating, but still refused to give way.

Rick leaned down, pulling the pin out of the grenade, and let go of the lever. "Ohh sh-" He yelled as he got up and ran to where Kat and Daryl were ducked down behind a wall in front of the windows.

"Get down! Get down!" Shane yelled at him.

"Shit!" Rick yelled as he jumped away, towards the two in front of him as the grenade exploded behind him. The blast shook the room they were in and shattered the large window they had been trying to bust out of.

"Go! Go!" Glenn yelled. Everyone grabbed their things. Daryl stopped and grabbed his Horton off the ground and swung it around his back as he grabbed both the axes.

Dale put his hand on Andrea's cheek as he looked at her. She still wouldn't look him in the eyes. He took his hand away. "Okay." He said, looking at her and nodding his head. "You win." He said as he stood up. Andrea thought he was going to run to the door and leave her there like she wanted, but instead, he walked to the chair that was in front of her and sat down in it, leaning back.

She looked up at him. "What are you doing?"

"I said okay." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't pull this, Dale."

"I'm not pulling anything. If you're staying, I stay too. He's right. We know what's waiting for us out there. I don't wanna face it alone."

"Dale, get the hell out. I don't want you here."

"Too bad." The man said, getting upset. "You don't get to do that, to- to come into somebody's life, make them care and then just check out." He said, looking down at the woman. She looked away from him, to the floor in front of her. "I'm staying...That matter is settled."

The group all jumped out of the window to the ground. The grenade had attracted every Walker around. They were slowly approaching as the group made their way to the cars.

"They already know we're here! Shoot em!" Kat yelled as she grabbed her handgun from her side, taking a shot at one that was in their path, sending it to the ground. Shane brought his shotgun to his shoulder and took aim at another as Rick and T-Dog did the same with their guns. Dylan reached into Kat's bag for his gun as he took out a shambling corpse that was coming up on their side. Shane held the shotgun at his side and got out his handgun and started aiming again. Daryl put both axes in one hand, gripping them tightly like a baseball bat, and took a swing at the head of a Walker he was running up to, sending it's head flying off. They all ran the last few feet to the cars as they all came up to the vehicles they had arrived in just the day before.

Kat unlocked her doors as she and her brothers got in her car as Daryl ran past her and into his truck that was parked behind hers. Rick, Lori, Carl and Glenn were in the RV as Rick grabbed the keys from the sun visor and was about to start the engine.

"Wait wait wait. Wait wait." Lori said, pointing towards the shattered window. "They're coming."

Rick looked up to see Dale and Andrea duck under the window and jump outside.

Jenner looked at the camera feed from outside the building, seeing the same thing Rick was seeing, only from a different angle. "They got out." He said, looking at Jacqui, next to him. She smiled. They both didn't think any of them would make it out those windows. Or that Dale and Andrea would make it out in time at all. They were still too close to the building right now, though. **15 seconds**.

Dale and Andrea ran in the direction of the cars as Rick looked down at his watch. They weren't going to get here in time. They were closer now, but still too far away.

Jacqui took Jenner's hand in hers as they looked at each other, tears streaming down her cheeks, despite the welcoming smile she had on her face.

"Come on." Lori said, watching Dale and Andrea slowly get closer.

Rick looked at his watch. They weren't going to make it to the RV. He started blaring the horn.

"Dale, get down! Down!" Lori yelled out the window.

"Get back!" Rick yelled as he waved the people in the RV to the back. "Everybody down! Down!"

From the commotion in the front of the caravan and seeing Dale and Andrea hit the deck, everyone in the car's behind the RV ducked their heads down as far as they could.

"Get down!" Dale said as he and Andrea were on the ground behind sand bags at the entry road to the CDC.

With a loud blast, fire engulfed the entire building, busting out the rest of the windows at the front, before continuing around the entire building. Crumbling it like it was made of cards. The shock wave from the force of the explosion bent all the trees surrounding the building back and caught everything near the building on fire. The force rocked all the cars, even though they were a good distance away. After the first explosion, everyone looked up at the building that was no longer there. That they could've been stuck in, had Rick not convinced Jenner to let them out.

"Come on. Come on." Dale said, as he grabbed Andrea to help her up.

"Come on. Come on!" Glenn said as he opened the door to the RV and leaned out to the two. "Get in, get in, get in. Get in!"

Once everyone was safe in their vehicles, breathing heavy, but **alive**, they looked at what remained of the CDC, of the doctor and friend inside. They watched the fire and black smoke rise into the sky for a few more seconds before Rick started the RV. He took one last look at the huge flames before stepping on the gas, making a U-turn and leading the caravan away. Where they were going, he wasn't quite sure yet. But he'd figure it out. He was going to make this chance Jenner gave them count.


	12. Chapter 11: What Lies Ahead

_**Soundwaves**: Thank you soo much! This review means a lot, and don't worry, there's plenty to come! I agree with you about other stories. Everything you said in this comment, especially here;-"There's far too much juvenile, teenager-like drooling, immature stuff out there that doesn't get the severe situation of the survivors' group in which this relationship is developing.-At last a believable development of characters and comprehensible actions towards each other, taking into account the reality of a life threatening catastrophe and trying to cope with loss while at the same time noticing their interest in each other, totally seeming out of place at that moment." - Is exactly what I wanted this story to be. I didn't want, right off the bat, for them to hook up or constantly be all over each other or the whole 'ooo you're hot, ooo stick your tongue in my mouth.' No. I also want Daryl to be like how the lovely Reedus himself has said he wants him to be. Inexperienced with love/emotions and awkward. But as far as the story itself, I'm sort of trying to write it how I would approach the situation. You're more concerned with what's going on around you and what you're losing rather than who's hot and available and what not. But like you said, still showing that interest in each other. I want it to be hard to want that kind of relationship in this world, where every day is life and death, and like I said, you're always worrying about what you could lose. So they will have more of a flirty friendship for some time as they get closer with each other through the seasons I'm following. I want the Daryl that Kat gets to be a little different than the Daryl the survivors get at first, because they knew each other briefly from before. So they have that sense of familiarity with each other that's comforting. BUT, thank you again. Finally another person that wanted to read, what I myself wanted to read! I couldn't find it for a long time through all of the stories I went through so I decided to make my own. This isn't my first fan fiction, but it is my first Walking Dead fic. So I hope other people like it just as much. Subscribe and enjoy. xo_

* * *

_Sorry if it took a bit longer than usual to update, guys. I kind of work two jobs, I'm hair stylist but also an artist (I do a lot of Norman Reedus work ;) I have a Daryl WIP at the moment.) and I had a couple made-to-order paintings people bought the last couple weeks that took priority since I get paid for doing that. This is just for fun haha. Someone in los angeles actually bought one of my Boondock Saints pieces. Farthest I've had to ship one before so that was kind of exciting. so I wanted to get that done as fast as possible and to him, so those were taking up most of my time. But anyway, here is the next chapter. Picking up right where we left off and the start of season 2._

**What Lies Ahead**

* * *

"Shane, get in! Shane, get in!" Glenn yelled, as he swung the door to the RV open. "Come on! Come on!"

Shortly after leaving the CDC, Shane's jeep had broken down. Daryl, who was driving his truck in front of him, had luckily glanced in his rear view mirror and saw the man, back in the distance. But that isn't what had him blaring his horn and yelling out the window to the caravan in front of him. Behind Shane, was a large group of Walkers coming up on his Jeep.

Shane grabbed his gear and had started running towards them when Rick turned the RV around after yelling to the others to stay put. They had to have been more than a mile down the open road from where he was.

Shane was starting to tire when he turned around and aimed his shotgun at the few in front that were closest to him. He had 3 rounds in the gun before he would be out and as close as they were to him now, he didn't have time to dig in his bag for more shells. These things didn't slow down, not once. He shot at the first one, sending it to the ground. The loud noise only making the Walkers behind it more agitated. A few of them tripped over the body as Shane started running backwards. He aimed at two more, dropping them, before turning around and putting the rest of his strength in his legs.

The RV was a welcome sight as he heard Glenn yell at him. Shane picked up his bag he had dropped when he went hand to hand with a couple of the Walkers that got close to him. With his empty shotgun in one hand and the bag in the other, he darted to the open door of the RV that had pulled up beside him. Shane ran through the door of the Winnebago as the large group of Walkers that had been closing in on him, surrounded that side of the RV. Glenn pulled the door closed as soon as the man was inside.

"Go! Let's go!" Glenn turned and yelled to Rick, who was driving.

"Hold on!" He yelled as he turned the wheel of the RV as far as it would go and made a U-turn in the direction of the group he'd left farther up the road, narrowly missing several Walkers as he turned the big vehicle around.

Shane, who had all but launched himself through the door, was on the floor at the feet of Dale and Andrea who were sitting at the small table just inside the RV. Dale reached his hand down to help pull Shane into a sitting position on the floor.

As soon as they were pulling off onto the road again and away from the Walkers, Carl got up from his mom's lap in the passenger seat and ran to the man who was practically his uncle. "Shane!"

"Yeah. Hey. Hey. Hey. " Shane said between quick breaths and with a smile as Carl fell into his arms. "Come here. Come here." He said into the boy's shoulder as he held him close.

Rick and Lori both looked back at the two, Rick with a smile on his face, Lori, looking indifferent.

Shane brought his hands to the boy's head as he held his mouth to Carl's forehead, looking at Lori. "Hey." He said as he pulled Carl back with a reassuring laugh. "Hey, I'm fine, man. I'm really fine, okay." He laughed. Carl mouthed the word okay and let out a relieved laugh with the older man as he sat back on his knees in front of Shane.

"Hey, why don't you- Why don't you go back to your momma? Go on. Go on, buddy." Shane said, between trying to catch his breath from the running and fighting he'd just gone through.

"Alright." Carl said to him as he got up and headed for his mom again. They both looked out the front of the RV.

"Rick...God, they- they may be slow but they just- they don't tire, man, they- they just keep coming." Shane said as he rested his elbow on his knee and brought his hand to his forehead. He was still trying to get his breathing under control, it had been too close of a call.

Rick looked back at him, before turning his eyes back to the road, back to the group that was coming into view. "Good thing to know." He said. They hadn't been aware that they didn't need to rest at all at this point. They had thought that maybe their bodies would get exhausted as well.

"Thank you." Shane said.

"Don't thank us, thank Daryl. He's the one who noticed." Lori said, not even looking back at him.

"He started honkin and yellin his head off." Dale laughed to Shane on the floor below him, causing everyone else to join in. They'd all heard Daryl yell at somebody for some reason by now, but they hadn't quite heard him yell **that** loud before.

Once everyone was quiet again, Shane took a few deep breaths and ran his hand over his forehead. "Rick, you got any moves left?" He asked as he looked in the direction of the driver's seat.

Everyone in the RV looked towards him as he slowed the RV down slightly. "I got one."

"Is it good?"

"It occurs to me we have friends in this town. Glenn, what do you think?" Rick turned and looked at the young man, standing in the walkway at the back of the RV.

Glenn looked at him for a second before remembering who he was talking about. "Yeah!"

"It will buy us some time. A night or two til we figure out what we're doin." He said as he pulled up to the rest of the cars. He gave a quick honk to let them know they weren't stopping, and continued on.

Everyone one in the RV looked around at each other, confused. Glenn noticed the looks they were giving each other. "Uh-th-the nursing home. Guillermo and his people." He said.

"The people who took you hostage?" Dale looked at him. Glenn smiled and nodded his head.

"Hey, we parted on good enough terms." Rick quickly interjected.

"Good enough doesn't bold me over with confidence." Dale said, looking between them.

"No no. You weren't there." Glenn said, shaking his head and holding his hand out towards the man. "Y-you didn't see the way that Rick handled things." He smiled before nodding his head. "They're our friends. They'll take us in."

They all looked at Rick. It was the only option they had right now. The only place he could think they would be able to go. So he kept driving.

* * *

Awhile later, they arrived at the nursing home towards the end of the city. They parked their cars in an alley around the backside of the courtyard, outside of the brick wall around it. They all exited their vehicles with their weapons and gathered at the front of the RV before they started walking forward.

"I bet they're barely hanging on." Andrea said as they looked around the deserted alley way. "What makes you think they'll take in strangers?" She asked as she looked to Rick.

"All the guns we gave em, they'll prolly throw us a party. Good call." Daryl said walking up next to Rick and looking towards him. "For once." He finished, as he walked past the man.

The group made their way to the broken out windows that Rick and the small group had climbed through before. They all jumped down into the courtyard.

Rick, T-Dog, Glenn, Daryl and Kat led the group, being that they knew the way around. The five of them looked around as they walked closer to the opening in the brick wall.

Glenn turned around to look at Rick who was behind him. "Where are the lookouts?"

"I don't like this." Kat said as she raised her Beretta that was previously at her side, to the space in front of her. Daryl got his handgun out as they rounded the corner that would lead them into the courtyard in front of the garage. It would be faster than his crossbow if they needed to use weapons in a minute.

"Aw, son of a bitch!" Shane quietly exclaimed as he led them around the wall.

The area in front of the building was a mess. There was trash thrown everywhere and bodies littered the ground. And Walkers. There were Walkers all over, feeding.

Lori and Carol grabbed their kids and turned their heads away from the gruesome sight. Kaleb stepped behind Dylan as he peeked around him at the Walkers, several of them finally noticing the group in front of them. They all looked up at the promise of fresh meat and started growling as they got to their feet. They slowly started making their way to the group as everyone looked to Rick. Those with weapons, had them aimed at the oncoming corpses, waiting for Rick to give the word.

"To hell with the noise." He said as he took a few steps forward, aiming his Python at the Walker in front of him.

Gunfire erupted all around them as shots were fired. Carol, Lori and Andrea huddled with the kids as they ducked down behind the group. They watched as one by one, the bodies fell to the floor, seconds before the gunfire quieted down.

Daryl walked a few steps forward, looking down at one of the bodies a Walker had been feeding on. He recognized him as one of the 'vatos' that helped out around here.

Rick emptied the rounds from his gun, letting them fall to the floor as the 3 women in the back stood up with the children. He quickly reloaded his gun.

"We gotta move." Kat said as she walked a few steps forward. All of that noise was going to draw in whatever Walkers were still around the building.

"Come on. On me!" Rick said as he looked at the group. He ran to the big wooden doors, Daryl right behind him, and they hauled them open. The locks were undone.

Rick walked into the large garage first, Colt Python raised, followed by Daryl who now had his crossbow up and ready to fire. The rest of the group followed them through the darkened, empty building and out the back. They made their way through the other courtyard and up the steps to the actual nursing home building. The door was cracked open. They walked inside, seeing some papers strewn across the floor and hospital equipment overturned. Carol put he hand over her mouth as soon as she walked in, seeing the legs of a person sticking outside of a door way in the hall. Andrea stopped in her tracks as soon as she made her way inside, seeing the same sight. Sophia started crying.

"Keep your voices down. Let's keep it moving." Shane said quietly to the group. The front door had been left open, so they didn't know if there were more Walkers in here.

"Shh." Rick said as they made their way down the hallway, checking rooms as they went by. Shane and Daryl led them down the hall. Kat and Rick right behind them with the group following. Kat pushed the door on her side of the hallway open, quickly looking inside. One dead person, propped up against the wall. The woman didn't appear to have any bite wounds at a glance but she had a gunshot wound in the center of her forehead. Rick raised his gun to the room he was clearing on his side, seeing two more dead people lying on the floor in the room. Carol and Sophia came up behind him and looked inside as the group came to a stop at the closed doors to the cafeteria. Carol still had her hand to her mouth as Sophia started sobbing loudly.

"Quiet." Kat whispered as loud as she could. She came up behind Daryl, who was aiming his crossbow at the cafeteria doors. Kat looked over his left shoulder into the frosted glass windows on the doors, trying to see any movement.

"Put a sock in it!" Daryl said as he turned around and looked at the crying little girl, who only cried louder at being yelled at. "Jesus Christ."

Lori put her hand on Sophia's back, trying to calm her down.

"You leave her alone." Carol whispered to him as she held her daughter closer to her.

"Then shut her up or I will!" Daryl said as he pointed at Sophia.

Lori stepped in front of Sophia and Carol, standing behind Rick as she pointed at the man. "Back the hell off! I mean now!" She quietly scolded him.

"Would everyone shut up!" Kat whispered as she put her free hand on Daryl's shoulder. She looked around at the group. Daryl lowered his crossbow as he looked next to him at Shane before back to Lori.

"Are we stayin or goin?" She asked, still looking at the Hunter before looking at her husband.

"We don't have the fuel." Rick said as he turned his head to the side to answer her.

"We hunker down for the night, okay? Rick- you, me, Kat and Daryl, we're gonna sweep the building. We make sure we're alone." Shane said, looking between them.

"Okay." Kat breathed, as Lori nodded.

Rick turned around and looked past his wife towards the group behind them. "The rest of you barricade those doors." He said, pointing at the doors they had came in from.

The rest of the group walked to the front as Lori pointed to a room off to the side they could move equipment from to use as a wall.

Daryl, Kat, Rick and Shane continued forward through the cafeteria doors, Daryl first, aiming his crossbow around the room. The three followed in after him, looking around at all the dead bodies among the trash and overturned tables. The smell of death was heavy in this room, not that all the flies cared at all. The four fanned out and walked around the room. Kat noticed the bodies here were the same. They weren't bit, but someone had shot them anyway. _Was this place attacked?_ They made their way through the room towards the back, where there was a stage with the curtain drawn. Daryl hopped up and walked across the stage. He pulled the curtain back, quickly scanning the area behind it. Nothing.

They went through the door on the other side of the cafeteria that led to the stairs so they could continue their sweep of the building as the others barricaded the doors.

Rick led the group to the second floor, each of them clearing rooms as they walked down the hallway. More rooms with more bodies, but no Walkers inside so far. Kat checked the room next to Daryl as he looked up to read the top of the door in front of him. 'Prayer and Meditation' it said at the top. He pushed the door open with his foot and aimed inside with his bow. It was clear as he looked in at the man, dead on the floor. He looked down at the writing that was engraved into the glass above the door knob. 'Prayer Changes Things'.

Daryl scoffed. "Guess that didn't work so well for you did it, hoss?" He said as he looked back at the man. He stopped for a second, the pieces finally clicking together in his head. The bodies he'd seen so far in this building weren't Walkers, and he hadn't seen any bite wounds. But they all had died the same way. A bullet to the head. He finally realized what Kat had picked up on as soon as she saw the first body. He looked out of the room and down the hall to Kat who was checking the room next to him. She pulled the door shut and stepped back out before turning towards him and starting his way. This floor was clear.

Back downstairs, the group had managed to push a knocked over vending machine in front of the doors and piled various items on top of it. A light bulb that wasn't screwed into the lamp on top fell to the ground and shattered as they heard a familiar growling noise outside the door. They all ducked down as the Walker came up to the door outside. Sophia started crying again as Lori put her finger to her lip, silently telling her to be quiet. Carl grabbed Sophia's hand.

The Walker tried pulling on the wooden planks the vatos had used to board up the glass windows on the doors. It growled loudly when it couldn't pull or push them away.

Carl put his finger to his lips before holding his hand up in front of him. "Shh. Okay? It's okay." He mouthed to Sophia. She nodded to him as she held his hand.

The Walker pulled on the boards and pushed against the doors a few more times, but once it figured out they wouldn't budge, it gave up and walked away.

"Let's go." T-Dog mouthed to the group. They all got up and ran to the cafeteria.

* * *

Kat was leaning against the wall next to the door in the cafeteria, Glenn on the other side of it. The group was spread out in front of her, all for Daryl, who was kneeling down by a dead body at the back of the room. Kat watched him as he looked at it, then walked over and kneeled over another, looking it up and down.

"Upstairs is our best bet. We've cleared a few rooms. We can barricade those if we have to." Rick said. "We'll be alright."

"You mean it this time? Or are you lyin to us like all the times before?" Carol said from her seat in a chair with Sophia on her lap.

"That's unfair, and no help at all." Lori said as she looked down at the woman before looking at her husband.

"The hell happened?" Glenn asked as he looked ahead of him.

"What do you think? They got overrun." Andrea said, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked out at the dead bodies all over the room.

Daryl, who was making his way back over to the group, scoffed.

"Something to say?" She said as she looked over at him.

"Yeah. How about observant." Daryl said to her, annoyed.

"Observant." Andrea nodded her head before looking back in front of her. "Big word from a guy like you. Three whole syllables."

Kat rolled her eyes as Rick looked from Andrea to Daryl, most of the group doing the same, Rick half expecting for Daryl to blow up again.

"Walkers didn't do this. Geeks didn't show up till all this went down." Daryl said, pointing his hand in a sweeping motion across the room as he looked at the bodies. "Somebody attacked this place. Killed all these people- took whatever they wanted."

Kat smiled a little, nodding at him, as Rick stepped forward, kneeling down at one of the bodies. She thought she was the only one that noticed. She figured Shane or Rick would've picked up on something, being cops.

"They're all shot in the head. Execution style. Y'all worried about Walkers?" Daryl said as he raised his eyebrows. "I'd be **much** more worried about the people who came and did all this." He said, pointing to the bodies again as he came to stand in front of Rick. He slung his crossbow over his shoulder, making it come to rest at his back while he looked at Andrea.

"Get a dictionary." He said, causing her to look over at him. "Look it up. **Observant**." He said as he brought his finger to point at his head. Andrea looked away from him to the ground as he walked away.

Kat crossed her arms over her chest and brought her thumb up to her mouth. She bit down on her thumb nail as she smiled at Daryl when he walked past her. She looked at Rick, before she turned and walked out of the door.

Daryl could hear her coming up behind him, she wasn't trying to be quiet as he headed up the stairs.

"Judgmental bitch." He said, without turning around.

"Can't judge a book by it's cover." She said as she laughed, walking a few steps behind him. He was going in the direction of the room they would all be staying in tonight. Kat could hear the group head out of the cafeteria behind them.

* * *

Later that evening, when everybody was situated in the room they would sleep in, Shane and Rick decided they would go look and see if there was anything left for them to have for dinner.

Shane walked through the open door to their room with a 30 ounce can of beans in his hand and Rick walked in with a box of cough drops.

"They ransacked the kitchen." Shane said, walking into the room, looking at the can. "All we found is one can." He said as he tossed it to Daryl, who was the only person in the room still standing. Everyone else had taken a seat on the floor at the back of the room. Daryl turned around and leaned his crossbow against the wall as he dug in his pocket before sitting down. Glenn got up from the floor to go and grab their paper plates before coming and sitting back at his spot.

"They hit the dispensary too. Tore the door off it's hinges. Took everything, except this." Rick said as he handed the box to Lori, who took it in her hands and read the label.

"So we came back for cough drops and-" Daryl said, holding the can up so he could read it. "-Garbanzo beans." He said as he shook his head. He set the can down between his legs as he flipped the can opener attachment on his Swiss Army knife out. Shane walked over to his bag.

"Is there any water?" Sophia asked from next to Carol, looking up at Rick before looking to Shane. He reached into his bag and pulled out an unopened bottle. He tossed it up in the air and caught it before he walked over to them.

"Just the one bottle I brought." He said as he opened it and walked over to the girls. "Just a few sips, okay hun? Gotta make it last. Gotta go for everybody, okay?"

Rick peeked out of the blinds that were over the windows, looking out into the night while Shane walked back over to his bag. Kat watched Daryl work open the can as Dale leaned over from next to her and handed her a couple plates to pass down the line on their side of the room. Which consisted of her, Daryl, Dylan, Kaleb, Sam, Shane and Andrea.

"What else you got in there?" Andrea asked from her seat on the floor a few feet from Shane, who began looking through his bag.

He pulled out a snack sized bag of potato chips and shook them as he raised his eyebrows. He'd snatched several bags of them from the CDC.

"Salty snacks." Glenn said, looking at the man, from his spot next to Dale.

Shane let out a small laugh. "Yep." He said as he tossed one to the far side of the room to Carol. He began tossing more bags around the room as Daryl poured some beans on the plates around him before coming to his knees and pushing the can over to Glenn. He leaned back, scooting closer to Kat than he was before and sat down. He crossed a leg underneath him as he spread the other out in front of him and got comfortable.

"Courtesy of the CDC. I thought I'd be havin midnight snacks in my air conditioned room. Didn't know it'd be dinner." Shane said as he looked at Daryl as the man slid him a plate. Glenn began scooping beans onto everyone else's plates on his side of the room, trying to make sure everyone had a little to eat. There weren't enough bags of chips for the whole group, so they were dividing them amongst themselves. Making sure that everyone that wanted some, got a few.

Shane leaned into his bag again. "And, uh...Last item." He said as he pulled out a bottle of alcohol.

Daryl, who was sitting slightly catty-corner to him was eyeballing it. "Would ya like to share it?" He said to him as he was chewing on the beans in his mouth.

Shane held the bottle out to Daryl. "Seeing as how I owe you my life. Guess I, uh- So I'm gonna go ahead and be nice to you...from now on." Shane said as Daryl took the bottle.

"I do think I earned the first swallow." Daryl raised his eyebrows up briefly at Shane, putting the bottle on the floor in front of him as he took his Busse TG from it's sheath and started cutting the seal away from the top of the bottle.

"You guys go easy on that stuff. Let's not forget where we are." Lori said from the other side of the small room.

Daryl looked over to her for a second. "Yes, ma'am." He said, before going back to the bottle and working on the cork.

Dale got up from his seat between Dylan and Glenn, walking across the small room to Andrea with a plate of food in his hands. She was sitting on the floor on the opposite wall of everybody, by herself, just staring at the group. She barely looked up at the old man as he made his way to her. She was still angry with him for saving her. She didn't want this anymore.

Dale knelt down in front of her as he got closer. He held out her plate to her with a sad, apologetic smile. She took it from him, rolling her eyes at what would be her's and everyone else's supper for the night.

"You all right?" Dale asked her.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She started. "I'm spending the night in a building that stinks so badly of rotten bodies I wanna vomit up my guts, dining on condiments and hoping I don't get eaten by dead cannibal freaks before dawn. What's not to like?" She picked up one of the garbanzo beans as she finally looked at his face.

The room was small enough that the group heard them talking, most of them trying to ignore it and give them a bit of privacy as they ate their dinner. Rick glanced over his shoulder at them, though.

"Thank you, Dale." Andrea said, rolling the bean around in her fingers as she brought it to her mouth.

The old man blinked a couple times before standing up and walking to the door. Kat followed him with her eyes. She felt bad for the old man. It may have been Andrea's decision to stay, but he just didn't want to lose anyone else, certainly not someone he cared about. Kat sure as hell wouldn't have let one of her brother's stay had they chose that path. It wasn't like her to just roll over and let death take her. To give up. She was fighter and would keep doing just that as long as she could. She would make sure her family would do the same. They were what kept her going.

Dale walked out into the hallway to the stairs where T-Dog was sitting on watch. He walked to the younger man and handed him another plate as he knelt down with his own supper, Andrea's words playing over in his mind. Was it guilt making his chest hurt?

"What's next?" Lori said as she stood up and walked over to Rick. "We need to decide."

Rick turned to her from his spot at the window, looking at her fully before turning and looking at Shane, across the room from him. He shrugged his shoulders a bit.

Shane briefly looked around the room like it was obvious. "Fort Benning, Rick." He said with raised eyebrows and a slight shrug. Rick nodded.

"Fort Benning." Lori said, nodding at her husband. Rick gave her a small smile and a sigh before turning back to the man.

"I shoulda listened to you, Shane." Rick said. "Would've saved us a lot of grief if I had...Jacqui would still be alive."

"It was her choice, man. Do not take that on." Shane said, shaking his head at his friend. Kat glanced at Andrea, who looked around the room with an annoyed look on her face as she leaned back against the wall she sat in front of.

"It was her choice. It was her decision to make, not yours. No more than it was with Jim." Lori said, shaking her head at Rick. He stared at the ground as the two of them tried to convince him of that.

"All these people..." Glenn said, "Who'd have done something like this? Just...come in here and murder everybody." Kaleb looked up at his sister next to him, the same time Sophia looked at Carol with a panicked expression. "Even all the old people. I mean, h-how sick is that?"

Shane looked at Glenn with wide eyes in an attempt to shut up him but he wasn't looking at the man.

Lori turned around and started walking over to Carl. "Is this something we need to be discussing right now?" She said, looking at Glenn with the same look Shane gave him, only he saw hers.

"Better if we, uh.." Shane said as he got up, looking at Rick. He jerked his head to the door. "All got some sleep, huh."

Daryl looked to his side at Kat as she told Kaleb they would be fine for the night. The young boy crawled behind her to sit with his brothers.

Rick walked to his son, running a hand through his hair before he followed Shane to the door. "Glenn." He said, jerking his head towards the hall, then nodding to Daryl and Kat to follow as well.

Andrea brought her knees to her chest as she crossed her arms over them. She rested her chin on top of them she watched most of the men and Kat walk outside.

"Hey." Shane said, turning around in the hall and pointing behind Daryl, who was the last one out of the room. Daryl turned around and reached for the door, closing it behind them. The small group formed a semi-circle outside the door.

"Kids in there are terrified." Shane said, looking at Glenn as soon as the click of the door shutting was heard in the hallway. "And the women."

Kat let out a scoffing laugh. "Then what am I?" She said as she looked at Shane. He turned his eyes to her, giving her a bored look before he turned to Rick, who spoke up.

The sheriff gave her a brief smile. "Conditioned."

"Guys, I'm really sorry." Glenn said as he shook his head back and forth.

Rick rubbed at his tired eyes with one of his hands while putting the other on his hip before looking at the small group in front of him. "We're all rattled and exhausted. No one's thinkin clearly." He said. Daryl took a swig from the bottle of alcohol he had before looking to Kat and handing it to her. "But we have to start. Our lives depend on it." Rick continued. Daryl watched as Kat brought the bottle to her lips as he brought his hand up to wipe at his own. She took a small drink and handed him the bottle back.

"You're damn right." Shane said, looking at the ground in front of them.. "We can't ever let our guard down again." He said as he started walking towards the stairs to T-Dog and Dale. "Back at camp- havin us a fish fry- No one on watch...and people died...maybe didn't need to." He reached the stairs and turned around, kneeling to the ground between T-Dog and Daryl, causing everyone to do the same. Daryl held the bottle out to T-Dog, who was across from him in the small circle that was forming. Dale stood on the stairs behind them as they formed a plan.

"Fort Benning...That's the consensus." Rick said, looking around the group.

"Anywhere but here." T-Dog said after taking a drink.

"We'll run out of gas before we even make it out of Atlanta." Kat said.

Rick nodded to her, she was standing next to him, Glenn on her other side. "We're wastin fuel drivin so many vehicles, we need to lose a few. We'll siphon the gas outta whatever cars we don't take. Should get us free of the city."

"That'd be a start." Shane said as he licked his lips, looking towards Kat. He shut his eyes. Why did he still think she was hot after she nearly knocked him out? "Let's just try to get a little shut eye tonight, okay?" Everyone nodded. "T, I'll spell ya in an hour." He said as he looked at the man, letting him know he'd take over for him soon. T-Dog nodded as everyone got to their feet. He handed the bottle to Daryl as they walked past and back to the room for the night.

* * *

"I guess I'm losin hope that you can hear me. But there's always that chance, isn't there? That slim chance. It's all about slim chances now. I tried to do everything right, keep people safe. I tried, Morgan. ..I tried. Our group's smaller now. We lost another, day before last. It was her choice. I won't say I blame her. She lost faith." Rick said into his walkie talkie as he stood up. He walked to the edge of the building, resting his hand on the waist-high concrete wall there, that went around the whole rooftop. "The CDC was a dead end. I met a man there...a scientist. He told me somethin...He told me...It doesn't matter." Rick said as he turned away. "What matters is we're movin on. Atlanta's done. We're gonna try for Fort Benning...We're facing a long, hard journey, maybe even harder than I can imagine. But it can't be harder than our journey's been so far. Can it? 125 miles- that's what lies ahead. And I'm trying hard not to lose faith. I can't. If I do, the others...my family, my wife, my son...There's just a few of us now. So we've got to stick together, fight for each other...be willin to lay down our lives for each other if it comes to that. It's the only chance we've got...Be careful out there, Morgan. I hope you and Duane are okay. Stay off the road. Keep movin. Keep your eyes open. I don't know, just- just be safe...Maybe we'll see you in Fort Benning someday. Rick, signing off." He looked out at the city one last time before walking back to the door to the stairs. He'd walked to the roof top of the building they were searching.

He took off his button up sheriff's shirt and laid it in the pile of clothes inside of Carol's Cherokee after deciding they would take that car. He'd given everyone tasks to do as they prepared to move out. Most of the group was searching the building Rick had come down from for food or anything else they could use. The rest of them went about, siphoning the gas out of the cars they were leaving behind. When they were done, they all helped in moving everyone's stuff into the vehicles they were taking. Dylan helped Daryl get Merle's beloved Triumph Bonneville 650 Chopper down from the back of his truck, deciding he would take it instead. His truck was a gas hog and was about to bite it anyway, the bike would be much more fuel efficient.

Everyone gathered around the cars, picking who would ride in what as they started filing in. Daryl looked at Kat and revved the bike's engine as he passed her. She gave him a smirk as she got into the driver's side of her Avenger. She wasn't leaving this baby behind. Dylan nodded to him as he went past and climbed in the passenger side, their two younger brothers getting in the backseat. Daryl pulled his black, sleeveless leather vest out of his bag and put it on over his cut off flannel as he sat on the bike, walking it to the front.

Shane leaned against the back of the RV, looking longingly at Lori as she kissed Rick before she got into Carol's Cherokee. Rick turned and looked at the man, giving him a smile before getting in the driver's seat. Shane returned it with a forced one of his own.

"Son, let's saddle up." Dale shouted to Shane from the front of the RV, before he climbed up the stairs through the door.

The rest of the group piled into the vehicles. Dale's RV, Carol's Cherokee, Kat's Avenger and Merle's motorcycle.

Dale started the Winnebago's engine as he waited for Daryl to walk the bike the rest of the way to the front, leading the convoy, and they started their way out of the city.

* * *

A couple hours had passed since their bathroom break for the ones not in the RV. Kat had parked her car next to the RV at their last stop. She pulled in front of Dale when they started off again. She smiled to herself, watching the angel wings on the back of Daryl's vest as he weaved all over the road in front of her, crossing from one side of the center line to the other. Obviously enjoying not having to worry about any oncoming traffic from the other side. Kat looked out over the field next to them as she rested her arm on her door and leaned her head against her hand.

Carl was looking out at the same sight she was from the backseat of the Cherokee. Sophia was sitting next to him with her head resting on her mother's shoulder.

"I was just thinkin about our trip to the Grand Canyon with Carl." Lori said from the passenger seat with a smile on her face.

Rick looked over at her from the driver's seat as he let out a laugh, lightly slapping his hand on the wheel, remembering something just between the two of them.

"I don't remember that." Carl said, looking up at the two.

"No, you wouldn't. You were just a baby." Lori said as she turned her head to the side to speak to him. "And besides, we never made it past Fort Worth."

"No, you got sick. I never knew a baby could throw up so much." Rick said as he laughed again.

"Ick." Carl said as Sophia made a face.

"Yeah, ick." Lori laughed. "The doctor in Texas said you'd live. Then we turned around and drove home." She said, looking at Rick before returning her eyes to the back of the RV in front of them.

"Well that sucks." Carl said from the backseat.

"No, it was a good trip." Lori said as she reached across and patted Rick's thigh.

"The best." He said as he grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze before putting it back on the wheel. He glanced behind him at Carl with a smile.

"Can we go see it? The Grand Canyon?" He asked. "I'd like to."

"I would too." Sophia said. "Can we go?"

"We'd never go without you and your mom." Rick said, looking behind him. "That's a promise." Lori reached behind her and put her hand on Carol's knee. The older woman smiled and covered it with her own.

In the RV in front of them, Shane was sitting at the small table behind the driver's seat, cleaning his handgun while Andrea sat in front of him, curiously watching. He looked up, seeing her studying his hands.

"Looks complicated." She gave him a smile.

"The trick is gettin all these pieces back together the same way." He smiled. "I could clean yours, show you how." He looked at her again before leaning over to the gun bag next to him and pulling out her handgun. He pulled the barrel back, making sure the chamber was clear, before letting it slide back into place.

"Oh, yeah." He said, with a satisfied look on his face as he held it out in front of him, aiming down the small walkway to the back of the RV. He brought it back and looked down at it before looking to Andrea. "It's a sweet piece."

She put her elbows on the table, resting a hand against her neck and leaned forward. "It was a gift, from my father." She smiled. "He gave it to me just before Amy and I took off on our road trip. He said two girls on their own should be able to defend themselves."

"Smart man, your father." He said before looking back at the gun. He wasn't sure what else to say to her so he went back to the one thing he knew- guns. "So look, it's a- it's a limited capacity. See? Only holds seven rounds." He said as he ejected the magazine and showed it to her.

"Oh, jeez." Dale said from the front, causing Shane to turn around.

"Aw, no." Glenn said from the passenger seat. Shane got up and turned around, leaning between the two men as they looked out of the front of the RV.

They had made it to the highway that would take them further through the state towards Fort Benning. But they weren't about to get any farther. Kat slowed to a stop behind Daryl as Dale stopped the RV. The road ahead of them was filled with abandoned cars on either side of the highway. Even the grassy median had cars and trucks in it.

"Shit." Kat said as she watched Daryl turn the bike around. She put her car in park and looked at him through her open window, sighing as he went by before she looked ahead of her again. There was no way they were getting through there.

Daryl rode the bike past her car and stopped next to the driver's window of the RV.

"See a way through?" Dale shouted over the Triumph's engine.

Daryl looked behind him over his shoulder before looking back to the old man. He nodded a little and jerked his head in the direction of the jammed cars before riding past him, around the RV, to get back in front of them.

Glenn looked at the map in front of them as Daryl made his way back to the front. "Uh, maybe we should just go back." He said as he looked at Dale before looking back down. "There's an interstate bypass-"

"We can't spare the fuel." Dale said.

They all looked on as Daryl helped weave them through the cars they could fit past.

"Jeez." Glenn said as he looked around. Some of the cars were on their sides or completely flipped over. There were dead bodies in some of the cars they looked into as they drove past. "Can we get through here?"

He was answered when The RV's engine started sputtering and smoking. Just in time, too. Daryl had stopped when the area ahead was too packed with cars for them to fit through. Everyone put their vehicles in park and got out when they all came to a stop.

"I said it. Didn't I say it?" Dale said as he walked out of the door, around to the front of the RV. "A thousand times. Dead in the water."

"Problem, Dale?" Shane asked as he made his way around the front with the rest of the group. The Carsens and Daryl, who were in the front of the convoy, walked back to the RV and joined them.

"Well the engine's fuckin smoking, so I would assume so." Kat said as she crossed her arms over her chest. She was irritated and not in the mood. Could anything just go right?

"Just a small matter of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no hope of-" He stopped what he was about to say as he looked at where they were...surrounded by cars. "Okay, that was dumb." Surely they would be able to find what he needed somewhere on this highway. Daryl walked to the back of the car next to them and started picking through what he could from the open hatch.

"If you can't find a radiator hose here..." Shane said.

"There's a whole bunch of stuff we can find." Daryl said as he pulled a pink backpack out from the car and started looking through it as Kat walked up next to him, looking inside the car. He let it go, letting it fall to the ground when there were only small childrens clothes and baby stuff inside.

"I can siphon more fuel from these cars for a start." T-Dog said, walking to the side of the car Kat and Daryl were at, looking out at all of the abandoned vehicles.

"Maybe some water." Carol said as she held Sophia at her side, the girl still clutching her doll.

"Food." Glenn said as he turned and looked at her.

"This is a graveyard." Lori said, bringing everyone's attention to her. Daryl stopped reaching for another bag inside the car and looked back at her. "I don't know how I feel about this."

"Yeah...Well I think we need their stuff a little more than **they** do." Kat said, tilting her head to the dead couple in the front seat of the car her and Daryl were going through the back of. The two of them just turned around and went back to what they were doing. Most of the group nodded.

"All right, all right. Here we go." T-Dog said as he walked back towards the RV to grab the fuel cans.

"Come on, y'all. Just look around, gather what you can." Shane said. Rick nodded to everyone as they disbanded. He put the bag of guns on the trunk of a car and pulled out one of the rifles, deciding he would be on look out while they looked around.

"Kids, don't look." Carol said as she, Sophia and Carl followed Lori past a few cars, most having rotting corpses still inside.

Glenn walked back to the front of the RV after Dale had sent him inside to grab some screw drivers. "Hey. Which one?" He asked as he held out two to the man.

"The Flathead." Dale said, picking it up. "Radiator hose clamp is always a Flathead." He said, pointing to it with the screwdriver. "Here, you do it." He said, holding the screwdriver back out to Glenn. The young man took it and handed Dale the Phillips. He traded the young man the screwdriver for a dark blue bandana he was using as a rag. "Learn something." He said as he patted Glenn on the back before walking away. Glenn started unscrewing the clamp with a cough as the hot smoke blew in his face.

Rick looked around them through the binoculars as Dale came to him at the back of the RV. He handed them to Dale as the old man turned and climbed up the ladder to the top of the Winnebago.

Several yards away, Daryl put his bolt in his mouth to hold it while he used a crowbar to open the gas hatch of a truck for T-Dog. He set down one of the fuel cans and a hose as he started siphoning gas from the tank. Daryl loaded his bow and walked off in the direction of Kat as she went through a car with Kaleb. He walked past Lori, Carol and their kids on his way to siphon gas out of the car the two Carsens were next to.

Carol was going through a suitcase in the back of a car when she held up a red sundress, smiling when she saw it was her size. She held it over herself and looked down at the fabric. She looked up to see Lori looking at her before she went back to the tape recorder she was holding, checking it for batteries.

"Ed never let me wear nice things like this." Carol said as she put the dress back down in the suitcase before closing it. "We're gonna need clothes." She said as she pulled it out.

Lori picked up a large flashlight she found as she walked past Carol, putting her hand on the woman's shoulder as she went by to get to the back of the car.

"Hey, Carl." Lori said, causing both kids to look at her. "Always within my sight, okay?" The boy nodded at her.

"You too, Sophia." Carol said looking at her daughter, earning the same response.

"Ew, gross." Daryl heard Kaleb say as he got closer. The, now, youngest Carsen was nudging a dead body on the ground with his foot.

Kat looked over her shoulder to see what her brother was ew-ing at behind her. "Kaleb, stop." She said as she pulled out another book bag from the back seat, setting it on the roof of the car as she unzipped it. Kaleb walked over to the trunk and crawled on it, sitting down. Kat heard footsteps coming up on her right and was greeted by the sight of Daryl as he let a gas can fall to the ground at his feet at the back of the car. He pulled open the gas hatch of the Buick Lacrosse they were at and unscrewed the cap, sticking the hose inside.

He watched as Kat pulled out the articles of clothing from the bag, laying them out on the car's roof while she shook her head, obviously frustrated.

"Ya all right?" Daryl asked after he took the hose from his lips and put it into the can, letting the fuel drain into it.

Kat titled her head and looked at him with a sigh, not even bothering to answer him. He nodded his head as he watched her go back to he bag. She pulled it off the roof and threw it on the ground as she reached back into the car for a suitcase.

Shane had walked off with Glenn, going with him to find a matching radiator hose. Rick walked further in front of the RV, looking out at the group and all the cars as Andrea walked by him. She put her hand on her stomach as she walked back to the RV, feeling sick seeing all the loss of life around her.

Rick looked behind him up to Dale on top of the RV. The man had the binoculars in his hand about to raise them to his eyes again. "It's all good." The old man said.

Andrea sat down at the table inside the RV, looking at the parts of Shane's gun laying across the table. "Okay." She breathed as she started picking up the parts. Trying to reassemble a gun would surely take her mind off of the things around her. "All right."

"Come ooon." Glenn said as he was trying to unscrew a hose from a moving van he was at. Shane stood to the side of Glenn, facing behind them when he stopped and stared at the large truck in front of him. **Lipsey Spring Water**. He set his shotgun down, letting it rest against the back of the truck as he walked to the side of it. He grabbed the bottom of the side hatch and lifted it up, unveiling the crates inside that were filled with large, 5 gallon water jugs. Shane stepped back and took in the welcome sight.

"Glenn." He said as he looked at all of the jugs. The young man looked back at him. "Were we short on water?" He said as he stepped forward, quickly unscrewing the cap from one of the jugs. He pulled it off and threw it behind him as he let the cool water fall onto his head and down his back. Glenn and Shane both laughed.

"Hey, same me some!" Glenn said.

"It's like being baptized, man." Shane said as the water flowed down. He opened his mouth, drinking down the fresh water.

Dale smiled from the roof of his RV as he looked at the men. He turned around, continuing he and Rick's watch duty. He squinted his eyes a bit when he thought he saw movement off in the distance between the cars back behind the RV. He brought the binoculars to his eyes.

Rick, seeing the man looking, brought the rifle to his shoulder as he looked through the scope in the same direction. His sights landed on a single Walker. He took his eye off the scope as he pulled on the bolt handle, making sure there was a round in the chamber before putting it back down. He brought the scope back to his eye as he steadied the rifle against his shoulder and prepared for the shot. He took aim at the shambling corpse when another stepped out from the overturned van behind it. _It's only two_. He thought as he put his finger on the trigger. He was about to pull it when he and Dale both looked further behind them, seeing a large group of Walkers making their way through the cars. There had to have been at least 80, if not more.

"Oh, Christ." Rick said as he lowered the rifle. He spun around and ducked behind the flipped car he was next to as he crouched down and made his way towards the group. Dale dropped to his knees on top of the RV before laying down, getting as low as he could.

Rick ran through the cars towards his wife. When she was within ear shot, he whispered to her as loudly as he could. "Lori, under the cars."

She spun around, looking at him from the back of the van she was going through.

"Carl, Sophia, get down now." Rick said, pointing to the ground as he ran to the car next to them. Both kids looked back, seeing the Walkers, and followed him.

"Carl and Sophia. Sophia." Carol was whispering to the kids, quickly coming up to Lori.

"Shhh, shhh." Lori said, covering the woman's mouth with her hand. "Get under." She said as pushed the woman down and ushered her under the van with her.

Rick got to the ground as he scooted himself under a car. He saw Carl and Sophia crawl under the two vehicles across from him.

Glenn who was still working on unscrewing the radiator hose was stopped when Shane yanked on his arm, pulling him and tossing him to the ground behind the van.

"Ow." The young man said as he hit the asphalt. He moved underneath the van as Shane knelt to the ground and rolled under the van, pushing himself right up next to him. "What?" Glenn asked.

"Shhh." Shane said as he looked ahead of him. Glenn finally seeing the dozens and dozens of feet coming at them.

Kat saw movement from the corner of her eye and looked towards the RV past Daryl. "Oh shit. Kaleb!" She whispered, grabbing her brother's arm and shoving him into the backseat of the car they were still at. Daryl turned around, seeing all of the Walkers making their way towards them. Kat looked a few cars down from her and to Dylan and Sam. "Dylan! Down!" She whispered to him, pointing at the ground, signaling him to get low. Kat shut the door to the backseat as quietly as she could before she climbed into the front, shutting hers. "Lock the doors and get on the floor."

Andrea was still inside the RV messing around with Shane's gun as the smell of death suddenly came wafting through the open windows of the RV. She looked up, seeing all of the Walkers make their way past the Winnebago. "Oh, God." She gasped as she ducked down, getting off the seat at the table and onto the floor.

Carol looked over to the car her daughter was beneath as Sophia started to cry, bringing on her mother's own tears. Carol put her hand over her mouth.

"Shh, shh." Lori said as she put her arm over Carol, resting her hands on top of hers. Lori looked straight ahead of her, towards Rick. He was looking back at her with his hand raised, as if to say _stay quiet_. "It's okay." He mouthed back to her.

The Walkers were yards away now as T-Dog finally saw them. He was crouching down but not sure which way to go as he made his way to a car in front of him. He wrapped his hands around the open car door as he ducked down, trying to use it as cover as a Walker came closer. The corpse looked in his direction and he panicked, quickly ducking down. In his rush, he sliced his forearm open on the jagged glass of the broken out window of the car door he'd been holding on to. He brought his other hand up to put pressure on the wound as blood squirted out of his arm, onto his shirt. The Walkers were getting closer. He got up, running to a car further away and ducking behind it.

By now, the Walkers were at the cars Rick and the children were under as they walked past, not knowing dinner was just at their feet. Carl scooted more to the middle of the truck he was under as they shambled past. Rick put his hand up as the boy looked at his father across from him. Rick brought his index finger to his lips, looking between his son and the little girl under the car next to Carl's.

Andrea, still on the floor of the RV, was startled when she saw a decomposing hand reach up through the open door of the RV and take a hold of the wall. She quickly grabbed the rag and gun parts she had been fumbling around with and scooted to the Winnebago's bathroom as the Walker pulled itself into the RV. She pulled the flimsy, fold-away door of the bathroom closed as the Walker looked around the front of the RV before turning towards the small walkway.

Dylan and Sam were on the ground under two cars behind Kat and Kaleb, watching the corpses slowly get closer. They all had been farthest from the RV, so had a full view of the what was happening in front of them. The boys could see Lori and Carol on the ground under a van a little ways away from them, and further ahead could see Carl, Sophia and Rick on the ground. Shane and Glenn were obstructed by cars and they didn't know where T-Dog was. Dylan hadn't seen where Daryl had disappeared to in his haste to get Sam under a truck next to him before he slid under a van. The older Carsen mouthed "Quiet." As he heard Sam moving around, grabbing his Glock from his waistband.

In the RV bathroom, Andrea continued to fumble with the different pieces, trying to put the handgun back together. The Walker was starting to make it's way down the small walkway that separated the front part of the RV to the small room in the back. And bridging the gap, the bathroom Andrea was hiding in. She could hear the Walker right outside the door, snarling and moaning as it crept past, checking the back room for a meal. It looked around, not seeing any promise of food and turned around, starting back down the walkway. It would've quietly made it's way back out of the RV, had Andrea not just dropped a part of the gun on the tile floor of the RV's bathroom.

"Shit." She whispered as she closed her eyes.

At the sound of the gun metal hitting the floor, the Walker, that was now at the door about to walk back outside, turned back around. It began growling at the sound it had just heard, looking around the RV again.

Outside, T-Dog staggered to another car, trying to escape the Walkers that were slowly coming closer. He was getting woozy from the blood-loss as he made his way around another car, leaving a trail of fresh blood in his wake.

Andrea could hear the Walker outside of the bathroom door again. Sitting on the ground in the tiny bathroom, she put her feet up on the folding door, holding it in place. The Walker looked the door up and down. There had been a noise behind this wall. It brought it's hands up and started banging against the door, pushing it in. Andrea started screaming as the thin material the door was made out of started folding at its joint. She pushed her legs out farther trying to keep the door shut as the Walker kept fighting it's way in. No matter how hard she pushed against the door, it still opened slightly with the force from the undead body trying to get in. And now, with the Walker's arm reaching through the gap, it wasn't going to close again.

Dale, who was still on the top of the RV, heard Andrea's screams. He crawled the couple feet to the small open window that was on the roof of the RV, right above the bathroom. He looked down at her through the screen, seeing the predicament she was in. The window was much too small to pull her up through, it served only as ventilation in the small bathroom. There wouldn't have been time for that anyway with the Walker being so close and the door not having any sort of lock. Andrea looked up at Dale through the window. He dug in his pocket for the screwdriver Glenn had handed back to him earlier. Pulling it out of his pocket, he jabbed at the screen over the window, slicing through it. He held the Phillips out to Andrea, who held her hand up. Dale dropped it the couple inches into her open palm. She quickly adjusted how she was holding it, now as a weapon, while she tried to keep the Walker at bay.

T-Dog made his way around another car but was stopped as a lone Walker cut off his path. Drawn in by the fresh blood the man was covered in, it began shambling towards him. T-Dog was backing up, keeping his eyes on the Walker, though that was a mistake. Not paying attention to where he was stepping, he tripped over a bag behind him and landed on his back. He scooted away from the Walker with the strength he had left, before his back hit the truck behind him. _This is it_. He thought as he watched the corpse come closer.

Daryl, with his Busse in hand, peeked out around the truck the Walker had just passed on his way to T-Dog. He had seen the bleeding man trying to get away from his position at the back of the group with the Carsens. He crouched down and snuck up behind the Walker. He quickly set his crossbow down on the hood of the car next to them as he wrapped his now free hand around the Walkers neck, holding its head in place. He jammed his Busse into the back of the Walker's skull and fell to the ground with it in front of T-Dog. Daryl looked up at the man across from him as he yanked the blade from the corpse's head. T-Dog looked back at him with wide eyes as he took deep breaths.

In the RV, Andrea decided to stand up at the same time the Walker slammed itself into the door one more time. She quickly got to her feet and put a hand on the Walker's shoulder. She raised the screwdriver and let out a scream as she pushed the corpse back into the wall, sending the point of the Phillips through it's eye socket. Blood splattered on her face and chest. She stabbed it a few more times before letting it fall to the floor of the walkway, her on top of it. She stabbed it again, leaving the screwdriver there as she scooted into the back room and cried, blood dripping down her face and neck.

"Shh." Daryl said as he put his finger to his lips. The Walkers that were leading the larger group were closer to them now. He got up and grabbed T-Dog by the legs, pulling the man towards him so he was lying down. T-Dog, who was too weak to protest, let the man do whatever he was going to. Daryl let T-Dog's legs go and turned to grab the Walker he had just killed. He picked it up and laid it on top of T, covering his body. He crouched down and walked to the car T-Dog had been propped up against. Leaning into the open driver's side door, he grabbed the dead body that was there and pulled it out of the car, letting it fall on top of his body and he positioned it over himself. And not a moment too soon, as the large group of Walkers approached. They began walking right past the hidden men, not being able to smell them over the stench of the rotting corpses, just like them.

Rick kept his eyes on the children next to him as the last few Walkers at the back of the group made their way past the cars they were under, as they mindlessly followed the ones in front. Everyone stayed where they were for a couple minutes, waiting until they didn't hear or see any more walking corpses.

Daryl threw the rotting body off of himself as he got to his hands and knees. He leaned over and pushed the Walker he'd placed on T-Dog off to the side of the man. He grabbed T by his shirt and pulled him into a sitting position. He grabbed the red handkerchief hanging from his back pocket and threw it in the man's hand, urging him to press it to the wound on his arm, that was trickling blood.

Sophia was about to crawl out from under the truck she was under when a Walker appeared from around the overturned car behind a truck. She let out a shriek as it growled at her and she scooted back under the car. But the Walker had seen her, heard her, and knew where she was. It dropped to the ground and started to crawl under the car as she scooted to the other side.

Carol started to sob under her's and Lori's hands as she watched the Walker get closer and closer to her daughter.

"Shh, shh." Lori said.

Sophia started to scream as the Walker reached it's hand out toward her.

Rick grabbed the rifle on the ground next to him as he scooted out from under his car.

Sophia made her way out from her hiding spot as her screams drew in another Walker. She scooted under the guard rail and made her way down the steep hill on the other side as the Walker got up from the ground and made it's way around the car with the other. The two corpses crawled over the rail and started after her as she ran into the woods.

Rick, with the rifle in hand, began crouching through the cars as he made his way to the side of the road. He hopped over the guard rail, losing his footing on the steep hill as he rolled down it. He lost the rifle in the tumble, but had no time to look for it as he quickly got to his feet. He took off in the direction the little girl had gone with the two zombies on her heels.

"Lori." Carol sobbed as she got out from under the van. Lori had made her way to Carl already and was walking towards the guard rail with him when Carol ran to her. "There's two Walkers after my baby." She sobbed.

"Shh, shh." Lori said trying to calm her, as the woman ran to the rail. Lori wrapped her arms around the woman's shoulders as she came up behind her and covered her mouth, trying to keep her quiet. The rest of the group had come out of their hiding places and were gathering around.

"Are you alright?" Kat said as she put her hand on Sam's shoulder as they made their way to the group. He nodded at her as they came up to the others.

"What happened?" She whispered to Lori as she saw her in her position, wrapped around a crying Carol.

"Sophia. Rick went after her." She nodded into the woods. Kat looked into the forest along with everyone else.

* * *

Rick was further into the forest now and could hear Sophia's sobs as he came up on them, seeing the two corpses running after her as fast as they could. He could see the direction she was going in and decided he would cut her off as he continued. And he ran.

Weaving through the trees, Rick could see the two Walkers as he ran a few yards away. He looked in the direction they were still going, knowing the little girl wouldn't be far. He pushed himself faster, towards a small open area. Sophia had just reached the area he was aiming for as she turned to look at the Walkers a few yards behind her. She tripped over the root of a tree and fell to the ground. She quickly got to her feet and launched herself into a sprint again, but ran into Rick as he grabbed her. She gasped at the sudden contact.

"Shh, shh!" Rick said as he held her. He knelt down and held her back from him as he quickly looked her over. "Are you all right? Are you okay?"

"Shoot them!" She said, leaning over and reaching for his Colt Python in the holster hanging at his hip.

Rick pushed her back, "No. No! Those walkers on the road would hear it. Then it wouldn't be just two, it'd be hundreds. Come here. Come on." He said as he put an arm under her legs and lifted her up, cradling her to him. He turned around and ran farther into the trees.

A few minutes later, they came to a creek and he put her down at the embankment. "All right, just hold here. You stay there. Wait." He said as he jumped down into the shallow water. He turned around and held his arms out to her. "Come on." She looked around before she came closer, letting him lift her down. He held her to him as he looked around the creek. Off to the side, a few feet away he saw some fallen trees, the branches providing cover in the water. He ran over to them and put her down in front of the small shelter.

"Sophia, you have to do exactly as I say." He said as he looked at her, bending down to be at her eye level. He held his hand out to the branches. "Hide in there. Squeeze in tight. I'll draw them away from you."

"No, no, don't leave me." She started crying.

"Listen, listen, listen, listen." Rick said, putting his hands on her arms. "They don't get winded. I do. I can only deal with them one at a time. I wouldn't be able to protect you." He said, she nodded her head at him. He put his hand on her cheek and looked into her eyes. "This is how we both survive. You understand?" She nodded at him again as she held her doll to her chest. "Okay? Go, go, go, go." He said as he lightly pushed her into the small cover. He looked in the direction the Walkers were, not seeing them yet, as she got as far back as she could. "If I don't make it back, run back to the highway, back to the others straight the way we came. Keep the sun on your left shoulder." He said as he pointed to his shoulder and backed away from her hiding spot. She nodded at him once again. He looked up, hearing the Walkers getting closer now as they made their way to him. They stopped at the high embankment, it was a good 4 feet into the creek below at the part he was standing in front of now.

"Come on!" Rick yelled, bending down and splashing water in their direction. "You ugly son of a bitch. Come on!" He said as he stepped closer. One of the Walkers took a step forward, falling into the creek. Rick jumped back as it fell into the water. It started to get up right away. "Come on!" He said as he started running down the creek, leading the Walkers in the other direction. The other, that was still up on the ground at the other side of the creek, ran after him from it's side. "Come on! Come on!" He shouted again, trying to keep them focused on him. He tripped over a rock on the creek bed and fell to his knees in the water. He got to his feet as quick as he could and continued to lead them away, shouting at them again.

After a couple minutes, Sophia, no longer hearing Rick, slowly crawled out from the branches and started walking towards the embankment.

Rick had led the Walkers further into the forest, away from the creek. He was leaning his back against a tree, trying to catch his breath as one of the Walkers slowly made his way towards him, looking around for where it's prey had went. Rick held a large rock in his hands, lifting it up as he heard the Walker getting closer behind him. The second one was slowly starting down the same path, as Rick came out from behind the tree and hit the Walker in the face, sending it to the ground. He knelt down over it and began pounding the rock into it's head until it stopped moving. He got to his feet as the other Walker made it's way towards him. He threw the rock at it, hitting it between the eyes and like the other, it fell to the ground. Rick walked over to it, picking up the rock again. He got down on his knees next to it as he took a deep breath. He raised the rock high above his head and smashed it down onto the Walker's face.

* * *

Lori was sitting on top of the trunk of a car, Carol standing in front of her. She was rubbing her hand across Carol's back, soothing her. Shane and Daryl had both climbed up on a couple cars and were standing atop the higher vantage points keeping watch. Kat sat on the guard rail next to her brothers as they waited for Rick to come back. It felt like it had been almost an hour by now when they heard rustling coming from the trees.

"Lor." Someone quietly shouted, causing the rest of the group to look over. "Lori!" Rick shouted, louder as he got closer.

"We're here." She quietly shouted back as everyone got up and walked to the guard rail.

"Thank God." He said as he scrambled up the steep hill to them. Carol looked at him, pulling her eyebrows together. Where was her daughter?

Lori grabbed Rick's hand as she helped him over the guard rail. He stood up straight and looked around, not seeing the little girl. Carol looked behind him, hoping Sophia would have been coming up the hill after him, but when she looked back at Rick's confused face, she could see that wasn't going to be happening.

"Where's Sophia?" Rick asked. Carol looked at him as she started to cry. "She's not back?"

Carol let out a sob as she fell to her knees. Rick ran his hand through his hair watching the woman. When he had went back to where he left Sophia, she was gone. So he headed back to the highway, thinking she would already be here.

Lori and Andrea knelt down with Carol, holding the woman as more sobs shook her body. Andrea pulled her to her chest and held her as Lori stood back up to grab Carl, who was getting upset at the loss of another friend.

"I'll go back." Rick said as Lori looked at him.

"I'm coming with you." Kat said as she stepped forward, putting her hand on the distraught woman's shoulder. Carol reached up and covered Kat's hand with hers as she let out another sob. Kat walked towards Rick as Dylan took over her spot next to Carol.

Daryl hopped down from the car he was on top of. "Doubt any a you know how to track." His skills were going to come in handy.

"I can." Kat said as she looked at him when he came closer. "A little." She shrugged her shoulders, tilting her head. She knew enough to go after somebody if she needed to. And with all her years in the woods with Phil, she'd picked up a few things. But she'd soon find out Daryl's tracking abilities could blow hers right out of the water.

"All right. Kat, Daryl...Glenn and Shane- come with me. The rest of you just keep a look out." Rick said as he climbed back over the guard rail.

"Hang tight, y'all." Shane said as he stepped closer, his Mossberg 590A1 shotgun resting on his shoulder.

Kat jumped over the guard rail, followed by Daryl when she came up to Rick's side as they started down the steep hill. "Take us to where you last saw her."

* * *

"You sure this is the spot?" Daryl asked as he peered into the fallen trees over the creek and embankment.

Rick walked closer to him. "I left her right here." He said, holding his hand out over the branches. "I drew the Walkers way off in that direction up the creek." He said as he pointed on the path he had taken.

"Without a paddle- seems where we've landed." Daryl said as he looked around.

"She was gone by the time I got back here." Rick said, walking closer to him again. "I figured she just took off and ran back to the group. I told her go that way and keep the sun on her left shoulder." He said as he pointed in the opposite direction of where he'd led the Walkers.

"Daryl." Kat said from where Rick had pointed, she nodded to the ground where they had jumped into the creek from, pointing out shoe tracks that were smaller than the rest. Daryl walked over to her, splashing the ankle high water as he went. He stood next to her and looked at the ground up the embankment. It was less steep here, it would've been easier for her to crawl up the embankment on her own. And sure enough, there were small footprints in the soft ground and he could see where she had pulled herself up.

"Hey, Short Round, why don't you step off to one side? You're muckin up the trail." Daryl said with a sweeping motion of his arm to Glenn, who was standing right at the top of the slope they had come down. Glenn looked down at the ground he was referring to and stepped away.

"Assuming she knows her left from her right." Shane said from a few feet next to the young Asian man.

"Shane, she understood me fine." Rick said, frustrated, making Shane look back down at him, still in the creek.

"Kid's tired and scared, man. She had her a close call with two Walkers. Gotta wonder how much of what ya said stuck."

"Got clear prints right here." Daryl said from his and Kat's spot. He was slightly bent over, looking at the scuffs in the muddy slope. Shane walked over towards him. "She did like you said, headed back to the highway." Daryl said as he stood up straight and looked back at Rick, who started over to them. Daryl made a whirling motion with his index finger as he raised his hand in the air. "Let's spread out, make our way back."

Shane leaned over and stuck out his hand to Daryl as he pulled the man back up the slope. "Let's go, she couldn't have gone far."

Daryl turned around and stuck his hand out to Kat to help her back up as Shane did the same to Rick. "Hey, we gonna find her." Shane said to him. "She'll be tuckered out hidin in a bush somewhere." The five of them turned around and let Daryl lead them on Sophia's trail through the forest.

Several yards later they made their way to a small clearing among all the trees. Fallen leaves littered the ground, making her trail visible. Daryl walked a few more feet until he stopped and knelt down, propping himself up with his crossbow and a hand on his other knee, he looked at the ground. Everyone stopped, gathering around behind him. Kat came up beside him to look at the path. She could see an obvious shuffle in the leaves. The straight path Sophia had been taking, went off to the right, further into the woods again. Shane came up beside her and squatted down next to her, across from Daryl.

"She was doin just fine till right here. All she had to do was keep going." Daryl said. He took his hand off his knee and pointed from the ground in front of him, into the woods. "She veered off that way." He said as he rested his arm on his knee again. Everyone looked towards the trees.

"Why would she do that?" Glenn asked from behind him.

"Maybe she saw something that spooked her, made her run off." Shane said, looking from the trees to Daryl.

"Walker?" Glenn asked.

Daryl shook his head a little as he scanned the ground in front of them. "I don't see any other footprints. Just hers."

"She was already scared. She didn't have to **see** anything. She could've **heard** something up ahead she didn't like and didn't wanna go that way." Kat said as she stood between Shane and Daryl, looking at the ground again.

Shane looked up at her before looking back down at the trail. "So what do we do?" He looked back at Rick. "All of us press on?""

"No, better if you and Glenn get back up to the highway. People are gonna start panicking." Rick said as he looked between the two men. Shane got to his feet. "Let em know we're on her trail doin everything we can. But most of all, keep everybody calm."

"I'll keep em busy scavenging cars. Think up a few other chores. I'll keep em occupied." Shane said, nodding at Rick. He looked at Glenn. "Come on."

Daryl got to his feet as Shane and Glenn walked away. He pointed into the woods and started on the little girl's trail again, with Rick and Kat behind him.

* * *

**The Highway**

Shane was using Carol's Cherokee to push an SUV out of the way on the road. Andrea had cleaned up and changed into different clothes and was helping him. She had the door to the SUV open and was holding onto the wheel, steering it into the grassy median as Shane pushed. Dale nodded as the SUV came to a stop, hitting another car, and Shane backed the Cherokee up.

Carol who was still standing by the guard rail looking out into the forest, walked over to Dale, who was standing in front of his RV. "Why aren't we all out there lookin? Why are we movin cars?" She asked the old man as he went back to working on the RV's engine.

"We have to clear enough room so I can get the RV turned around as soon as it's running. Now that we have fuel we can double back to a bypass that Glenn flagged on the map."

"Goin back's going to be easier than tryin to get through this mess." Shane said as he walked up to them. The rest of the group was returning with more supplies they had found while going through some other cars.

"We're not goin anywhere till my daughter gets back." Carol said as she looked at Dale.

"Hey, that goes without saying." Lori said as she came up and lightly patted the woman's back.

"Rick, Kat and Daryl, they're on it, okay?" Shane said. "Just a matter of time." He said, resting his hand on her arm before letting it fall back to his side.

"Can't be soon enough for me. I'm still freaked out from the herd that passed us by, -or whatever you'd call it." Andrea said, tossing a water bottle to Glenn and unscrewing the cap of her own before taking a drink.

"Yeah, what was that?" Glenn asked. "All of em just marching along like that."

"Herd. That sounds about right." Shane said as he looked at Andrea. "We've seen it. It's like the night camp got attacked. Just a wandering pack, only fewer." He took a deep breath before he raised his voice a little. "Okay. Come on, people. We still got a lot to do. Let's stay on it. Let's go, come on."

* * *

**The Forest**

Kat and Rick were still walking behind Daryl at a leisurely pace. His eyes hardly ever leaving the ground. This wasn't a straight path anymore. It was zigzagging all over the wilderness, a confused, scared trail of a little girl alone in the woods.

"Tracks are gone." Rick said, looking at the ground. Not seeing what Daryl was seeing. Kat couldn't blame him. This was beyond her now, she could hardly make it out anymore. This was all on Daryl from here on out.

"Naw." Daryl said, bending over a little to get closer to the ground as he kept walking, slowly. "They're faint, but they ain't gone." He held his arm out, pointing along the path his trained eyes could still see. "She came through here."

"How can you tell?" Rick asked, stepping slightly in front of Kat as he came up next to Daryl, trying to see where he was pointing as the man kept walking. "I don't see anything. Dirt, grass."

"You want a lesson in trackin or you wanna find that girl and get our ass of that interstate?" Daryl said, eyes still on the ground in front of him.

"I vote off the interstate." Kat asked, brushing a bug from her arm as she walked behind them.

* * *

**The Highway**

Kaleb and Carl were walking around in the cars, looking for anything useful. Dylan had sent them off on the 'chore' more so to get them out of the way. They weren't being much help with the adults.

The two young boys came up to a truck and looked inside the passenger window. They saw a bag sitting on the seat, tucked under the arm of a dead body. They could see the head of a hatchet sticking out of the bag.

"Whoa, look at that." Carl said to Kaleb as he tapped on the window. They jumped down from the step on the truck and made their way around to the driver's side. They got to the door and just stared at it for a second.

"Maybe we shouldn't." Kaleb said, eying the dead body suspiciously.

Carl looked at him before slowly reaching his hand up to the handle of the door. Finding it unlocked, he quickly pulled it open. The dead body's arm, that was propped up against the door, limply hung down. Carl kept his eyes on the body as he slowly walked closer. He reached into the truck, over the body and grabbed at the bag. It was heavier than he expected. He reached his other hand over the body and took the bag in both hands as he yanked against it. Still not enough leverage. He looked at the body again before he stepped up onto the truck. Being in a higher position, he could lift the bag easier now. He reached over the body again, taking the bag with both his hands. He pulled it across the dead man's lap, the heavy bag pulling the body closer to him with every tug. With a final yank, he brought the bag to his chest, at the same time the body nearly came off the seat. With a shriek, Carl jumped, falling from the truck and landing on his back on the ground. At the movement, Kaleb had his Bersa Thunder .380 out in a flash and aimed it at the body. But it wasn't a live one. The force Carl had used, coupled with the heavy bag had pulled the body out of the truck. It was hanging slightly out of the door, but still held in place because of the seat-belt holding it to the seat. Kaleb and Carl both took a few deep breaths, looking up at the dead man.

"Are you okay?" Kaleb asked as he looked down at his friend. Carl nodded and looked down at the bag laying on top of him before he got up. Kaleb put his gun away as they both ran back towards the group.

"Shane!" Carl shouted as he saw the man.

"Carl, what happened?" Lori ran over, hearing her son's scream only seconds before.

"Mom, w-we found something cool." He said as he ran with Kaleb to the front of the car Shane was working on. Lori shoulder's dropped and she rolled her eyes.

"Shane, check it out." Carl said as he laid the bag on the floor and opened it up. "It's an arsenal." He smiled. It was a Gerber Apocalypse Kit. _How fitting_. Dylan thought as he came over to them. They had sold plenty of them at the Robertson's store and that was literally what the entire tool kit was called.

"That's cool, bud. Go give em to Dale." Shane said as he continued to work on the Hyundai Tucson's engine.

"Check this one out." Carl said as he leaned over to pick up the Camp Axe from the bag. "Whoa, it's a hatchet." He said as he held it up with both hands in front of him.

"Be careful. Don't play with those." Lori said, walking up to her son.

"They're really sharp."

"What did I **just** say?"

"Can I keep one?"

"Are you crazy?" She said as she held out her hand for the weapon.

"No way." The boy shook his head as she took the axe from him. "Shane. Shane, tell her to let me keep one." He said as he looked at the man. Lori leaned down to put the axe back into the bag.

Shane looked at him. "Hey, man, go give em all to Dale, **now**. Go."

Carl looked at him as Lori handed him the bag. Carl hung his head as he walked towards the RV with Kaleb. Dylan walked away, going back to the mini van he was combing through.

"What was that?" Lori asked as she watched her son walk away, her hands on her hips.

"What was what?" Shane asked as he slammed the hood of the Hyundai down.

"The way you blew him off just now. You crushed him."

Shane walked to the driver's side of the car as he starting putting a couple bags into the back seat.

"I don't believe you. You're giving me the cold shoulder?" She asked, looking at him for the first time since Carl walked off.

"Isn't that what you want?" He looked at her. "Weren't you the one who said stay the hell away from him and you?"

Lori took a few steps towards him. "You forget what happened at the CDC? Your little..meltdown in the rec room slip your mind? When you tried to-"

"When I tried to what?" Shane said as he stepped around the car to her. "What do you think that was?"

"I think it is pretty plain what that was."

"A mistake. One that I admit to. I-I have a few mistakes under my belt, Lori. So do you." He said as he turned around and walked back over to the driver's door.

"No debate there." She said, stepping closer again. "But, Shane, we need to stop this."

"Why do ya think I'm preppin my new ride?" He said, resting one arm on the roof of the car and the other on the open door as he stood behind it. "I'm leavin."

"Leavin?"

"As in gone for good..Gonna quietly slip away first chance I get." He said as he got into the car, seeing if it would start this time. He turned the key and was greeted by the engine starting. The radio clicked on.

"The Emergency Alert System has been activated. The Office of Civil Defense has issued the following message: Normal broadcasting will cease immediately. This is a civil emergency." A voice faded in an out as Shane stepped back out of the car and stood outside the door.

"Is that a local signal?" Glenn asked as he walked over with Dale and Andrea. Dylan walked back over from behind Lori as he heard the radio.

"It's gotta be within 50 miles of here." Dale said as he looked around.

"Avoid anyone infected at all costs. Remain calm. Help is on the way." The voice said. "The Emergency Alert System has been activated. The Office of Civil Defense-"

Shane leaned in and shut the radio off. "Asshole...Okay, let's get back to work." He said as he patted the roof of the car. Everyone turned around and went their separate ways. Shane walked to the back of the Tuscon and opened the hatch. He put a suitcase he'd filled with his stuff in the back.

* * *

**The Forest**

The three of them were still walking around as they all heard the sound of leaves rustling. They crouched down immediately, Daryl raised his Horton to his shoulder. They stayed down and quiet for a couple seconds. Rick looked back at Daryl and pointed towards the direction the noise came from. They started walking forward, Rick in the lead. After several steps they all came to a stop and knelt down. They could see a lone Walker, wandering around in the forest beneath the small hill they were on top of.

Rick looked behind him. Daryl pointed to Rick and Kat and to his left, before pointing at himself and to the right. Rick nodded as Daryl winked at him, letting him knew he understood. The three of them got up from the ground and went on their instructed paths. Rick and Kat ran down one side of the hill that would put them a couple yards in front of the Walker as Daryl quietly made his way around the back.

"Hey!" Kat shouted as the Walker looked in their direction. Rick whistled at it. At the noise and movement it started growling loudly at the two, but was quickly silenced as Daryl's bolt came flying through the back of its head. The sharp point coming out right above it's eye.

Rick nodded at Daryl as the three of them made their way towards the downed corpse.

Daryl put his foot on the Walker's back as he yanked his bolt from the thing's head. He stood up and looked around. "Sophia!"

Rick knelt down, grabbing a pair of gloves out of his back pockets and put them on. He grabbed at the hand of the Walker and started looking at it. Cop-trained Rick coming out.

"What are you lookin for?" Daryl asked as he watched what the man was doing.

"Skin under the fingernails." Rick said, looking back at Daryl before looking at it again. Daryl bent over to get a closer look as Rick grabbed the Walker and turned it onto it's back.

Kat looked at the fresh blood all over it's mouth and her thoughts went back to her little brother. She was having an uneasy feeling of Deja Vu.

"It fed recently." Rick said, looking at the same thing. He grabbed at it's mouth, pulling it open. He groaned as he started picking at it's teeth, pulling debris from them. "There's flesh caught in its teeth." He said, looking at Daryl, he held up the piece of skin he'd pulled out.

"Yeah, what kinda flesh?" Daryl asked, looking at it.

"Only one way to know for sure." Rick said as he reached into his pocket for his switchblade. Daryl set his crossbow down and reached into his pocket and pulled out his own gloves as Rick pulled open the Walker's shirt, sending buttons everywhere. He flipped his knife open.

"Here," Daryl said, putting his hand on Rick's shoulder to stop him. "I'll do it." He said, stepping over the Walker. He put one foot on either side of it's waist as he lifted up his shirt over his knife's sheath. He unsnapped the button and pulled his Busse Team Gemini out. "How many kills you skin and gut in your life? Anyway, mine's sharper."

He positioned himself over the body and took his knife in both hands. He raised the knife high and slammed it into the corpse's body. With the sharp blade ripping through the skin of it's stomach, he started sawing at the flesh, running a vertical incision from the bottom of it's ribcage to the waistband of it's pants. Kat watched Daryl work as Rick made faces at the scene in front of him. Daryl raised his knife again and with a grunt, pushed it back into the Walker's abdomen. This time making a horizontal line above his previous one. He cut from side to side before raising his knife again and making the same cut at the bottom. He removed his Busse and laid it next to him as he knelt down.

"Now comes the bad part." Daryl said as he pushed the flaps of skin he'd made to the side and pushed his hands into the now open abdomen. Kat watched as he reached inside, feeling around the decaying organs as he started pulling some out. The process was making sickening sounds as he fished around inside the body.

Rick leaned back a bit, looking to Kat and groaned as Daryl nonchalantly ripped out pieces of rotting intestines. Rick rested the side of his hand against his mouth as he watched. Daryl put the part of the intestines he'd pulled out into one hand and tossed them to the side before wiping at his nose with his arm. He dove back in with both hands as he bent over the body more, feeling around inside the cavity.

"Yeah, hoss had a big meal not long ago. I feel it in there." Daryl said as he tried to get a good grip around the decaying organ of the stomach. Rick looked away, trying to compose himself as Kat let out a deep breath.

With another grunt, Daryl ripped the stomach from the Walker's abdomen and leaned back. He tossed the stomach on the ground next to him, between Rick and Kat. "Here's the gut back."

"I got this." Rick said as he looked at the decaying organ in front of him. Daryl helped him hold it in place as Rick started cutting at the tissue with his knife. Rick let out a groan as Daryl let go and he pulled the stomach open. He pushed around the digested material inside of it with his knife, scooping some out. Daryl reached for the 'bag', pulling it open more and looking inside. Rick flung the sloppy mess from his knife as Daryl picked up a tiny skull with the tip of his Busse, holding it up for them to see as he inspected it.

"This gross bastard had himself a woodchuck for lunch." Daryl said as he twirled the small head around on his knife.

"How the hell did he manage to swallow that?" Kat said, looking at the small skull that still had a little meat on it. Daryl shrugged as he flung the head away from them.

Rick wiped the sweat from his mouth with his arm. "At least we know."

"At least we know." Daryl said, standing up. He grabbed his Horton off the ground and started walking as Rick stood up.

Kat looked at the body one last time with Rick before following after Daryl. She came to walk next to him. "Please tell me you're throwing those away." She said as she watched him take the filthy, goop covered gloves off his hands.

"Why? Just gotta clean em off." He said, giving the gloves a once over before looking at her. With a look of disgust, she shook her head as she looked ahead of them again. He smirked and held them up, dangling them inches from her pretty face. He knew he was being childish, but he couldn't pass it up. She'd walked right into this one.

"Daryl, I swear to God." She said as she gripped his arm with her left hand and pushed his arm away.

"Or what?" He said, smirk still in place as he lightly pushed back against her, trying to get the gloves near her again. Rick smiled at the two despite the situation.

"Just stop." She raised her eyebrows at him, a small smile of her own on her face. _There_. That's all he wanted to see. She let go of his arm when he wasn't pushing against her hand anymore. "Ew." She laughed a little, shaking her head as he put the dirty gloves back in his pocket.

* * *

**The Highway**

The sun was low in the sky, but Carol was still standing at the guard rail. The same spot she'd been standing for hours now. Andrea walked away from the group, who had set out all of the water and supplies they had found and were sorting through them. She walked over to Carol, putting her hand on the back of her shoulder and giving her a small comforting smile.

Carol looked at her with sad eyes. "It's late. Gonna be dark soon."

"They'll find her." Andrea said, giving her shoulder a squeeze before she turned back around and walked to Dale, who was with Glenn at the front of the RV.

"Where's my gun?" She said as she looked at him. He looked back at the RV's engine. "You have no right to take it."

"You don't need that just now, do you?" He said.

"My father gave it to me. It's mine."

"I can hold onto it for you." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Or you can give it back to me."

"Everything cool?" Shane said as he walked up, hands in his pockets.

"No, I want my gun back." Andrea said, looking at him as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don't think it's a good idea right now." Dale said as he turned around and looked at Shane before going back to the engine.

"Why not?" Shane asked.

Dale stayed silent for a couple seconds before turning to Shane again. "I'm not comfortable with it." He quietly said. Andrea scoffed, looking at Shane.

He looked at her before looking back to Dale. "The truth is, less guns we have floating around camp the better."

"You turning over your weapon? Or the Carsen boys?" She said as she looked at him. She thought he would've been on her side.

Shane laughed. "Naw..But I'm trained in it's use. So are those boys, according to Kat. That's what the rest of y'all need is proper training. But until that time I think it's best if Dale keeps them all accounted for."

Andrea scoffed again. "Uh huh." She said as she turned around and walked away from them, back to Carol.

"Mind tellin me what that's about?" Shane said as he looked at Dale.

"Oh, God, they're back." Glenn said, coming up next to the two men. He put down a crate of supplies he was carrying before they all headed over to the guard rail. Rick was making his way up the hill followed by Kat and Daryl.

Carol was getting visibly upset again, not seeing her daughter with them. "You didn't find her?"

"Her trail went cold." Rick said, stepping over the rail. "We'll pick it up again at first light."

"You can't leave my daughter out there on her own to spend the night alone in the woods."

"Out in the dark's no good." Daryl said softly, shaking his head, as Kat climbed over the rail. "We'd just be trippin over ourselves. More people'd get lost."

"But she's 12. She can't be out there on her own. You didn't find anything?" Carol said, her voice cracking. Lori came up and put her hands on her shoulders.

"I know this is hard. But I'm asking you not to panic." Rick said as he held his hands up in front of him. "We know she was out there."

"And we tracked her for a while." Daryl said.

"We have to make this an organized effort. Daryl knows the woods better than anybody. I've asked him to oversee this." Rick said, looking around at the group. Everyone was looking back at him except Carol, who was zoned in on the knees of Daryl's pants.

"Is that- Is that blood?" She asked, breathing heavily.

Everyone looked at Daryl's pants, even him, not realizing the mess all over his knees. He looked at Rick.

Rick nodded as he looked back at Carol. "We took down a Walker."

"Walker? Oh my God." Carol said as she started breathing heavy again.

"There was no sign it was ever anywhere near Sophia." Rick said.

"How can you know that?" Andrea said, shaking her head. Rick looked at Daryl.

"We cut the son of a bitch open, made sure." Daryl said.

Carol turned around and sat down on the guard rail. "Oh, God." She breathed. Lori said down next to her. Carol looked up at Rick, her grief turning to anger. "How could you just leave her out there to begin with? How could you just leave her?"

"Those two walkers were on us. I-I had to draw em off. It- It was her best chance." Rick leaned over a little, looking at her face.

"Sounds like he didn't have a choice, Carol." Shane said as he walked up next to his friend.

"How was she supposed to find her way back on her own? She's just a child. She's just a child." Carol started to sob.

"Carol, he wouldn't have been able to fight off two Walkers **and** keep her safe at the same time. They were too close." Kat said in a soft voice.

Rick knelt down in front of her."It was my only option..The only choice I could make."

"I'm sure nobody doubts that." Shane said as he took a seat on the guard rail a few feet from the women. Rick looked back at him and Kat.

"My little girl got left in the woods." Carol looked at him again before looking away. Rick stared at the ground in front of her before nodding his head. He stood up and looked around at the group before walking away.

* * *

"So we're sleeping in here tonight?" Sam said as he looked at his sister from the backseat. He yawned as he got comfortable.

"Yeah. I'm not getting the tents out. There's nowhere to really set them up here anyway." Kat said as she got Kaleb into the back as well. Dylan was in the passenger seat, already half asleep, but she wasn't tired enough yet.

She could see Carol standing over by the guard rail, staring out into the trees. She sighed and looked ahead of her, seeing Daryl sitting on the hood of a car. He had a bottle of water next to him and was wiping off his knife with his handkerchief. She shut the backdoor of her car and walked over to him, nodding to Dale and Glenn on top of the RV on watch before walking away.

She noticed he'd changed as she got closer. He had a blue button up flannel with the sleeves ripped off and a different pair of jeans on. His dirty clothes were sitting next to him in a pile. She climbed up on the hood and sat next to him. She crossed her legs, sitting Indian style and leaned back on her hands behind her, looking up at the night sky.

"Ain't tired?" He said after they remained silent for a few minutes.

"A little. I don't really wanna sleep in the car though."

He nodded his head and continued to get all of the gunk off his knife as Kat watched him. They stayed there for a few more minutes, talking a little about how he'd learned to track like that and what they were going to do the next day.

"Where you gonna put those?" She asked, nodding to his jeans and shirt.

"My bag." He shrugged his shoulders. "No where else to put em." He said as he looked at them.

She slid off the hood and picked them up. "I can put them in my trunk. We have a pile of dirty clothes in there."

He looked at her for a second. "All right." He nodded his head. He rested his arm on his bent knee as he watched her walk away. He poured water over this handkerchief and rang it out a couple times before he stuffed the end of it in his pocket and sheathed his Busse. She walked to the back of her car and popped the trunk, throwing his clothes on top of theirs before returning to him.

"Were ya careful? Those gloves were in there." He said, smiling at her.

"Shut up." She shook her head and smiled at him as she climbed back up on the hood of the car.

She leaned back and laid against the windshield, looking up at the stars. She was sleeping here tonight. Daryl hesitated for a moment before laying back next to her. This is where he planned on staying for the night and he hadn't expected company. He wasn't even touching her but was a little nervous just laying there. He'd still never slept next to a girl all night. Did this count? They weren't actually in a bed. And he doubted there would be any cuddling. _Right_? He got her talking to distract himself. He'd asked her about her other brother. Scotty, she said his name was, that he hadn't got to meet, learning they were twins. She said if any other people were left alive, he would be one of them. "I always told him it would be us and the cockroaches if an apocalypse ever happened. Guess we'll have to see." She'd said, shrugging her shoulders. She didn't doubt her brother was okay where ever he was. She just wished she **knew** where he was. Daryl could relate to that.

He told her he felt bad about snapping at Sophia the night before. "I owe her from yellin at her back at the old folk's home." Is what he'd said. Kat figured he felt a little guilty, which was why he had more so offered himself to oversee the search, rather than Rick asking him to. Daryl also had a couple demons from his past he thought he could let out if he found the little girl. No one had looked for him when he was lost in the woods as a child. He wanted her to know she had people looking for her.

They looked up at the sky as some of the clouds cleared away. They started pointing out different stars to each other. Kat was surprised he knew as much as he did. She just loved astronomy, but he told her he would use the stars to guide him, to find out which direction he was facing, whenever he was in the woods at night. She smiled at him but he was focused on the tiny lights in the sky as he pointed at the Vulpecula constellation. _The fox_. They laid beside each other, barely touching, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Rick threw the Gerber bag onto the hood of Carol's Cherokee as everyone gathered around. It was early in the morning when he and Shane had woken everyone up and telling them where to meet after they all had a chance to change their clothes and do what they needed to. Rick opened the bag, revealing the different Gerber goodies.

"Everybody takes a weapon." He said as he looked around, grabbing his sheriff's hat off the hood. He had put his cop's attire back on. Daryl, who was standing next to him looked over the bag.

"These aren't the kind of weapons we need. What about the guns?" Andrea said as she looked down at the different machetes and knives. Kat, who was standing on the other side of Daryl, sighed, making him turn and look at her. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"We've been over that." Shane said from his spot next to T-Dog, leaning against the side of the RV. He was making sure the safety of Kaleb's Bersa was on before he put it into the gun bag. Daryl looked back at him. "Daryl, Kat, Rick and I are carrying. We can't have people poppin off rounds every time a tree rustles." Shane said as he zipped up the bag. Andrea had thrown another fit when Kat and the others got back last night about how her little 11 and 13 year old brothers were allowed to carry a gun and she wasn't. So before Kat could blow up on her, she took a deep breath and just told Kaleb and Sam to give their guns to Shane the next morning. Lori stepped up and grabbed the Parang machete.

"It's not the trees I'm worried about." Andrea said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Say somebody fires at the wrong moment, herd happens to be passing by. See, then it's game over for all of us. So you need to get over it." Shane said, swinging the bag over his shoulder.

Andrea looked back down at the weapons as Glenn picked up the Gator Machete Pro with a smile on his face.

"The idea is to take the creek up bout five miles, turn around and come back down the other side. Chances are she'll be by the creek. It's her only landmark." Daryl said as he and Kat started walking away from the group, stopping at a truck while they waited for everyone.

"Stay quiet and stay sharp." Rick said. "Keep space between you but always within sight of each other."

"Everybody assemble your packs." Shane said, causing everyone to grab their things.

"Dale, keep on those repairs." Rick said as he walked over to the old man, who was sitting on the steps of the open door to the Winnebago. "We've gotta get this RV ready to move."

Dale stood up. "We won't stay here a minute longer than we have to. Good luck out there. Bring Sophia back."

"Keep an eye on Carl while we're gone." Rick said, patting his son's shoulder.

"I'm goin with you." The boy said, looking up at his dad. "You need people, right? To cover as much ground as possible."

Rick let out a groan. He didn't want him going out there with them. He planned on him staying here with Dale, T-Dog and the Carsen boys. Rick looked at Lori, hoping she would do the hard job for him and just say no.

"Your call. I can't always be the bad guy." She said, knowing what he was trying to do. Rick looked back at his son for a minute, not sure what to say.

"Well, he has all of you to look after him. I'd say he's in good hands." Dale said.

Rick sighed. "Okay. Okay. But always within our sight, no exceptions." He said as he walked past his son to go grab his stuff. Carl looked at his mom and then to Dale, who winked at him with a smile.

Kat was standing at the Dodge truck her and Daryl were standing next to as they waited for everyone to be ready. She rested her elbows on the hatch behind her as she leaned against it. Dylan was standing next to her. He decided he would stay and keep watch at this sight with Dale and T-Dog while keeping Sam and Kaleb behind. Kat didn't want them out there if they weren't allowed to have their guns on them.

"Oh, great." Kat said, sounding bored, making Daryl turn to look at her. "Here we go."

"What?" Dylan asked. Kat nodded her head towards the RV. Both men looked in the direction she was referring to, to see Andrea walk up to Dale.

"Andrea, I'm begging you. Don't put me in this position." Dale let out small laugh as he put his hands up. Everyone could hear the conversation clearly from where they were all standing.

"I'm not going out there without my gun." Andrea said, looking towards the trees they would be surrounded by shortly, before looking back at him. "I'll even say please."

Dale shook his head. "I'm doin this for you."

"No, Dale, you're doing it for you. You need to stop...What do you think's gonna happen? I'm gonna stick it in my mouth and pull the trigger the moment you hand it to me?" Rick and Shane looked over at the two. Now wasn't the time to be arguing about this. They'd all already established who would be carrying a firearm and who wouldn't.

"I know you're angry at me." Dale said. "That much is clear. But if I hadn't done what I did, you'd be dead now."

"Jenner gave us an option. I chose to stay."

"You chose suicide."

"So what's that to you?" Andrea said, raising her voice. "You barely know me."

"I know Amy's death devastated you."

"Keep her out of this. This is not about Amy. This is about us." Andrea said. Everyone was looking at them by now. "And if I decided that I had nothing left to live for, who the hell are you to tell me otherwise? To force my hand like that?"

"I saved your life."

"No, Dale. I saved yours. You forced that on me. I didn't want your blood on my hands and that is the only reason I left that building. What did you expect? What, I'd have some kind of epiphany? Some life-affirming catharsis?"

"Maybe just a little gratitude."

Andrea raised her eyebrows at the man. "Gratitude? I wanted to die my way, not torn apart by drooling freaks. That was **my** choice. You took that away from me, Dale."

"But-" Dale shook his head.

"But you know better?" Andrea cut him off before he could say anymore. "All I wanted after my sister died was to get out of this endless horrific nightmare we live every day. I wasn't hurting anyone else. You took my choice away, Dale. And you expect..gratitude?"

Dale was quiet for a second, looking into her teary eyes. "I don't know what to say."

"I'm not your little girl. I'm not your wife. And I am sure as hell not your problem. That's all there is to say." She said as she stepped closer to him. She scoffed. "I don't need to be babysat." Andrea said walking past him.

Dale shrank back a little, looking at the ground before he turned around to face them. Kat could see he was upset at the venom in the woman's voice he'd come to care for. Dale was a sweet man and Andrea was pissing her off, seeing the distress she was causing him. She leaned up off the truck making Dylan stand up a little straighter and Daryl look at her.

"You know what? If you wanted to die so damn bad you would've sat there and let that Walker take you down in the RV, so lay off him and suck it up." Kat said while walking closer to her.

Dylan took a few steps and walked up behind his sister, grabbing at her shoulder trying to stop her on her path to the woman. Sure, Andrea was bigger than Kat, but just like when Shane had Daryl in a choke hold, he was more concerned for the other person's safety.

"Kat, come on." He said to his sister as he pulled her shoulder back towards him.

"You got another chance in a world that isn't handing those out anymore, so do something about it instead of crying over a choice being taken away from you. Cause I'm sure as hell there are plenty of other people who don't have any at all." She said as she turned around and almost pushed Dylan over and she walked past him. She walked past the truck they were at and started down the row of cars to the guard rail.

Daryl looked between Andrea and Dylan before turning around and walking after her, everyone else starting to follow. Dylan watched them all walk away before he walked towards the RV. He patted Dale on the shoulder as he walked to the back of the Winnebago and climbed up the ladder.

* * *

**The Forest**

The group walked in a line with Daryl at the front, leading them towards the creek where they would start their search. Shane was bringing up the rear with Carl and Lori right ahead of him.

Carl slowed down a bit so he fell in step with Shane. He twirled the small knife in his hands. "Shane, look. Dad said I could carry it and Mom said as long as I was-"

Shane sighed. "Keep it down. We're lookin for Sophia." He said as he turned, walking backwards. "We need to focus on the task." He said as he stopped, looking around behind them.

Lori turned around as Carl walked towards her. She put her arm on his shoulder to bring him next to her. "Gotta keep up."

"I am." He said as he hung his head.

Lori looked back at Shane as they walked away. "You okay?" She asked her son as she turned around.

"I think Shane's mad at me." Carl said. "Did I do somethin wrong?"

"No. No, honey, I promise you." She said as she put her arm around his shoulders. They both looked behind them at Shane as he started walking towards them again. "He's just- he's worried about Sophia, that's all."

After a few more minutes of walking, a tent came into view in the trees ahead. Daryl held up his hand to Rick and pointed towards the tent as he crouched down. Rick turned around to look at them as he, Kat, Carol and Andrea did the same. Glenn and Shane came up behind them.

"She could be in there." Shane said as he looked ahead at the tent.

"Could be a whole bunch a things in there." Daryl whispered as he stood up and started walking towards the tent. Everyone started to follow before Rick turned around, raising his hand to the others, telling them to stay put as he, Kat and Shane followed Daryl.

He had his crossbow raised and scanned the area ahead of them as they got closer to the tent. Kat had both of her Ulaks out in each hand, one slightly raised in front of her, one out to her side.

As they walked even closer to the tent, Daryl held his hand up behind him as they stopped. He pointed to them, then to himself. Telling them to stay put and just look out for him. He reached down to his hip and grabbed his knife.

Rick, Shane and Kat stayed put as he walked closer to the tent. Kat took a few steps closer, tensing up as he got farther away. He set his Horton down a few feet in front of the tent. He had his knife raised as he got closer to the tent flap. He tried to peek inside the small opening the door made but couldn't see anything, so he backed away. Going around to the side of the tent to the window, he tried to do the same, but the flap was covering the window, blocking his view. He walked back around to the front, shrugging his shoulders at them and holding his hands out.

Rick turned around and looked back to the group. "Carol." He whispered as loud as he could as he made a come here motion with his hand. The woman quickly made her way over to them, followed by the group. Carol came up to Rick's side, putting her hand to her mouth, as Shane held his hand up to everyone else, silently telling them to fall back.

Rick walked Carol a little closer to the tent, to stand where Kat had stepped to. "Call out softly." He said as he looked back at her. "If she's in there, yours is the first voice she should hear." Rick said.

"Sophia, sweetie, are you in there?" Carol quietly said.

Daryl stood at the tent's opening, knife still raised and ready to pounce if anything other than the girl stepped out.

"Sophia, it's Mommy. Sophia. We're all here, baby. It's Mommy."

Rick held his hand up to her, telling her to stay where she was, as Shane came up next to her, taking Rick's spot. Rick and Kat took a few steps closer as Daryl nodded. He was going in. He reached for the zipper at the bottom of the tent, it was already half undone. Shane stepped forward, in front of Carol and raised his shotgun as Rick raised his Colt. Daryl looked up at Kat and Rick as they got closer and he slowly pulled back the zipper more, making enough room so that he would be able to fit inside. He pulled the flap back as he, Rick and Kat looked inside. Rick and Kat both raised their weapons but lowered them slightly at the horrible stench coming from inside. Daryl, being closest, turned his head and coughed as he brought his hand he held his Busse in to his mouth for a minute. He slowly stepped inside, letting the flap fall closed behind him. Rick pulled it back to look inside before letting it fall and coughing.

Inside, the tent was splattered with dried blood. There was a man sitting in a camp chair, the bottom half of his face completely gone from the revolver he'd put in his mouth. Daryl looked around.

Rick and Shane were standing outside the tent coughing and trying not to puke as Kat stood between them, shaking her head. She wanted to throw up too, but held herself together. This wasn't the first time she'd had to deal with rotting corpses, live or dead. So she was a little more accustomed to the smell. _What the hell is he doing in there?_

Lori came up behind Carol and put her hands on her shoulders. "Daryl?" Carol softly called out. He didn't answer. "Daryl?"

Inside the tent, Daryl saw the revolver the man had blown his face off with hanging from his hand.

"Dixon!" Kat whispered.

Daryl grabbed the revolver and tucked it into the back of his pants. He stood up and turned around, pulling the tent flap back as he stepped out. "Ain't her."

"What's in there?" Andrea asked.

Kat stepped out of his way and let Daryl pass. He bent over and picked up his Horton before putting his Busse back in it's sheath. "Some guy. Did what Jenner said. Opted out." He said as he slung his bow over his shoulder. "Ain't that what he called it?" Daryl turned around and looked at Kat.

They all looked up at the sound of church bells ringing in the distance. The four in the lead took off around the tent, followed by the rest of the group. They all ran through the woods for a few minutes as the bells slowly got louder.

"What direction?" Shane said as they came to a stop in an open area.

"That way." Kat said, pointing ahead of them.

Rick nodded. "I think that way. I'm pretty sure." He said, pointing in the same direction.

"Damn, it's hard to tell out here." Shane said as he stepped up onto a fallen tree, trying to get a better view.

"If we hear them, maybe Sophia does too." Carol said.

"Someone's ringing those bells, maybe calling others." Glen said as they continued walking.

"Or signaling that they found her." Andrea said.

"She could be ringin them herself. Come on." Rick said, picking up his pace again as they continued forward.

* * *

**The Highway**

Dale stood on top of the RV looking through his binoculars as Dylan sat next to him, hanging one of his legs off the side of the roof as he propped his arm up on the other. He looked over at his little brothers. Kaleb was climbing over the junk in the back of the Dodge truck Daryl had parked Merle's bike next to and Sam was sitting on the motorcycle.

"Sam. You better get off that. Daryl'll kick your ass when he gets back." Dylan said as he looked down at the boy. Sam nodded and got off. Dale let the binoculars come back to his side as he turned and smiled at the boys.

"Ain't you supposed to be fixing that radiator?" T-Dog said as he walked out up to the RV and looked up at Dale. "What if they come back with Sophia and Rick wants to move on right away?" He said as he took a drink from the water bottle in his hands.

"I had it fixed yesterday." Dale said as he looked all around them, making sure there were no Walkers.

"What?" T-Dog said. "What was all that rubbin and sandin for then? That just bullshit?"

"Yeah, that's one word. Another word would be..pantomime- just for show...No one else needs to know that." Dale raised his eyebrows and looked down at the man.

T-Dog just looked back up at him before shaking his head. "Pantomime." He mumbled. The man was sweating terribly, but not entirely from the heat.

"If the others know we're mobile...they'll want to mobilize and move on." Dale said, shaking his head as he looked around again.

"So you don't think they're gonna find Sophia, that it?"

"I'm just guarding against the worst. Sooner or later, if she's not found, people will start doing math. I want to hold off the-the needs-of-the-many-versus-the-needs-of-the-few arguments as long as I can."

T looked at him for a minute. "That is one tricky hose, huh?"

Dale smiled down at him. "Very."

* * *

**The Forest**

They kept running in the direction they thought they bells were in. The ringing had stopped a few minutes before, so were just running forward based on a hunch. But soon, a white church came into view beyond the tree line. Everyone stepped out from the trees looking at the building. They would have to pass through a graveyard on the hill leading down from the woods to get to it.

"That can't be it. Got no steeple, no bells." Shane said as they looked ahead. Rick started going forward. "Rick."

He started running to the building, making everyone chase after him as he ran through the large graveyard. They all ran until they made their way around the front of the building. Rick ran up the steps to the large, red double doors. He took his Colt Python out of it's holster and stood next to one of the doors as Daryl ran up to the other. Rick held his hand up to his mouth, silencing everyone. He looked at Daryl as they each put one of their hands on a door and slowly pushed them open.

The creaking sound at the back made the four walkers inside turn around. They were all sitting down in the pews that served as their final resting place. Rick, Daryl, Kat and Shane stepped into the building, looking around as the group came up behind them. The four Walkers stood up, snarling and growling at the four people closest to them. Rick holstered his gun and reached behind him. Lori stepped up and handed him the machete she'd been carrying and handed another to Shane. Glenn came up and handed Daryl the machete he had as Daryl held out his crossbow for Glenn to hold. The four of them started walking forward, picking out their targets.

Rick walked to the left of the room as Shane walked forward, while Kat and Daryl went to the right. Rick walked down the pew to the Walker he'd chosen and brought the Parang down on it's head. It fell to the ground, but Rick hit it a couple more times for good measure. Shane walked down the aisle and up to the Walker in front of him. He grabbed a hold of it by it's shirt and pushed the Gator machete through it's eye socket, letting it fall to the ground in front of him. Kat darted past the female Walker that tried to grab her and towards the one at the front of the church. She jumped up on the pew behind her target as it tried reaching over the bench between them to grab her. She took her serrated Ulak and jammed it into it's temple making it fall and hang over the bench it had been trying to crawl across. The female Walker Kat had went past was focused on her as it tried to crawl over the pew to get to her, although she was a good several feet away. Daryl made his way behind it and made a couple kissing noises to get it's attention. It turned around at the noise and Daryl swung the Gator Machete Pro across it's face making it fall towards him. He quickly jumped out of the way of the falling body as Kat turned around, jumping back over the pew and coming into the isle. Rick and Shane were both beating at the Walkers they had hit several more times.

Rick stood up, looking to the Jesus statue at the front of the church. "Sophia!" He yelled.

Daryl walked up to the front, past Kat and came to a stop in front of the statue at the end of the isle and looked up at it. "Yo, JC, you takin requests?"

"I'm tellin you, it's the wrong church." Shane said as he walked back to the doors the rest of the group were still at. Rick had walked back over and Kat and Daryl were making their way towards them. "It's got no steeple, Rick. There's no steeple."

"How many churches are there out here in the middle of no where?" Kat said as she came up to them.

Just then, the loud ringing started up again, right outside the building. Daryl was the first out the door, running around to the side of the building where the noise was coming from, everyone following him. As they got to the side of the building, they looked up to where they loud ringing was. There was a speaker positioned at the top of the building. Glenn who had ran out right behind Daryl, put the man's crossbow down on the ground and ran over to the power box that operated the speaker. He opened the box and ripped out the wiring, silencing the loud bells immediately.

"Timer." Daryl said, pointing the machete in the air towards the speaker, breathing heavily. "It's on a timer." Daryl leaned over and picked his crossbow back up.

"I'm gonna go back in for a bit." Carol said and began walking back towards the doors of the church. Most of the group followed her into the building. Andrea went and sat on the side of the building where the speaker box was. She bent her knees in front of her and rested her arms across them. She sighed and looked up into the sky before closing her eyes. She took a couple deep breaths as she sat there.

"Are you really leavin?" She heard Lori say after a few seconds.

"Don't you think it's what's best for all of us?" Shane said. They must've thought everyone had followed Carol inside. Andrea turned her head towards their voices at the front of the building.

"I think it is. What made you decide?"

"Gotta back away. Just tryin to be the good guy here, Lori, even if you don't see it. None of this was intended. I hope you know that...Well..Don't matter. As long as I said it."

Lori walked closer to him. "You're just gonna disappear? You're not even gonna tell Rick?"

"He'd only try to stop me. No, that's on you. You tell him what you want. Or tell him nothin at all. You're his wife."

"And Carl? We dragged him into this."

"I love Carl."

"He thinks you hate him."

"I'm tryin to put some distance. I'm tryin to make this easier. This ain't easy on any of us, least of all me. I'm the one who loses you." Shane said, quietly.

Lori looked at him before turning her eyes to the ground. She turned and walked away, towards the doors of the church. Shane turned around as he watched her go up the steps. Andrea had stood up and walked towards the front of the building from the side. Not being blocked by the wall anymore, Shane finally saw her. He looked at her for a second, before he turned and walked off.

Carol was at the front of the church, standing next to the wooden railing that went around the statue and staring up at it. Lori walked in from outside and took a seat on the first pew behind her.

"Father, forgive me." Carol softly said. "I don't deserve Your mercy. I prayed for safe passage from Atlanta and You provided. I prayed for Ed to be punished for laying his hands on me and for looking at his own daughter with whatever sickness was growin in his soul." Lori looked up at the woman. Kat was standing at the back, angry. Ed was a tool, she could tell from the moment she had stepped into camp that day. She had seen the bruises on Carol, but hearing it from the sweet woman's mouth made her blood boil. At least he would never touch her or her daughter again. She didn't see Daryl tighten his fists around his crossbow strap at her side.

"I prayed You'd put a stop to it, give me a chance to raise her right, help her not make my mistakes. She's so fearful. She's so young in her way. She hasn't had a chance." Carol looked up at the stone face with tears in her eyes. "Praying for Ed's death was a sin. Please, don't let this be my punishment. Let her be safe...alive and safe. Please, Lord." She begged as the tears fell down her cheeks. "Punish me however You want, but show mercy on her." She stared at the statue again before she turned around and looked at Lori on the bench behind her. The younger woman held her arm out. Carol walked over and sat down next to her, placing a hand on Lori's knee as Lori's went around her shoulder. Lori put her hand over Carol's and pulled the woman closer to her as she cried. She placed a kiss on the older woman's head.

Kat stood at the back and shook her head. Daryl glanced down at the movement as she turned to look to her left at one of the stained glass windows. She wasn't religious. None of the Carsens were raised that way. She thought they were wasting time sitting here, sulking, asking for prayers that wouldn't be answered, when they should be out scouting the woods for the little girl.

"I'm coming with you." Andrea said, as she followed Shane when he started walking away.

"I don't know what the hell you're talkin about." He said, not slowing down.

"I'm not stupid and I'm certainly not deaf. Look, I don't know the story."

"There is no story."

"Fine, I don't care. Don't confuse me with someone who does." She said as she caught up to him. She put a hand on his bicep, getting him to slow down and look at her. She stepped in front of him. "Look, all I care about is getting out of here as far away as I can, like you."

"We gonna sail off into the sunset together?" Shane let out a laugh. "W-We gonna hold hands?"

"I'm not asking you to go steady, Shane. I'm asking for a ride, a chance to start over somewhere else. You observe this group lately? I see two people who don't belong. We're the odd men out. Between the two of us, we make a great third wheel."

"So what? Say we do, we just run off." He said. "What's in it for me except the extra ass I got to cover?"

"The chance to do something for someone else."

"Yeah." That didn't sound very appealing to him.

"And a door that swings both ways. Put a gun in my hand, I'll cover your ass, too."

Shane scoffed, looking away from her. Andrea looked behind him, seeing Rick walking out of the church, the rest of the group following him. "Think it over." She said, looking at him before walking past him and over to the group.

Shane sighed, looking across the side of the graveyard he was on before turning around and following her. He walked over to Rick as the rest of the group gathered around a tree in the yard. "Gotta move here, man. These people are spent. There's only so many hours of daylight left. We still got a long way back."

"I can't stop yet." Rick said quietly as he looked back out into the trees.

"We still got a lot of ground to cover, whole other side of the creek bed. So we search that on the way back."

Rick rubbed at his eyes before looking at Shane. "She would have heard those church bells. She could be nearby."

Shane raised his eyebrows before looking away. "She could be a lot of things."

"I can't go back. Her being out here is my fault."

Shane scoffed. "That's great. Now they got you doubting yourself, huh?"

"What about you? You doubt me?"

"Hey, we can assign all kinds of blame."

"This means something, finding her." Rick leaned in closer to him, almost pleading.

"Oh, man." Shane looked away from him.

"It would be the miracle we need. We can't give up."

Shane sighed and shook his head. "Mmm." He patted Rick on the shoulder and walked past him towards the group. He cleared his throat as he got closer to them. "Y'all gonna follow the creek bed back. Okay, Daryl, you're in charge." He said as he came to a stop in front of them. Rick walked up to his side. "Me and Rick, we're just gonna hang back, search this area another hour or so just to be thorough."

"You're splittin us up?" Daryl asked from the back. "You sure?"

"Yeah, we'll catch up to you." Shane said.

"Do you want me to go with you guys? It's just the two of you, and all of us." Kat looked at Rick.

He looked at her for a second, debating. "No. Better you go with them."

"I want to stay, too." Carl said, looking at his father. He took a few steps towards him, away from Lori's side. "I'm her friend."

Shane and Rick looked at each other. Rick didn't know what to say again. Shane looked to the ground with a smile.

Lori, seeing her husband struggling with his fatherly duties, stepped forward to Carl. "Just be careful, okay?"

Carl turned around to look up at her. "I will." He nodded his head.

She put her hands on his cheeks and looked at him before she pulled him to her for a hug. "When did you start growin up?" She kissed the top of his head as Rick walked over. She let go of Carl as Rick got to her and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before hugging him, too.

"I'll be along soon enough." He said to her before he let go.

Shane watched them before looking at Andrea, who was looking back at him with a knowing expression. He sighed and turned around.

Lori started walking away with the others when Rick stopped her. "Here, take this." He pulled his Colt Python out of it's holster and held it out to her as she stepped away. "Remember how to use it?"

She looked back at him. "I'm not taking your gun and leavin ya unarmed."

Daryl walked over to the two, handing her the small revolver he'd snagged from the dead man in the tent. "Here, got a spare. Take it."

She took it from him as he nodded at Rick before walking to the front of the larger group. Andrea sighed as she rolled her eyes and shook her head. The sheriff's wife is allowed to carry a gun, too, but she wasn't. The group started walking as Lori looked at Rick, Carl and Shane. She tucked the revolver in her back pocket and started after the rest of them.

Rick turned around and walked up to Shane. "Give me a minute?" He said as he passed him, walking back towards the church.

Shane sighed, putting his hand on Carl's head and ruffling his hair. "Come on." He said as he followed after Rick.

Rick walked into the church and stopped at the same spot Carol had earlier. He looked up at the statue. "I don't know if you're looking at me with what?" He sighed. "Sadness? Scorn? Pity? Love?" He let out another breath in the quiet building. "Maybe it's just indifference." He looked down, taking off his hat. "I guess you already know I'm not much of a believer. I guess I just chose to put my faith elsewhere. My family, mostly. My friends. My job. The thing is, we- ...I could use a little something to help keep us going. Some kind of...acknowledgment. Some indication I'm doing the right thing. You don't know how hard that is to know." He said as he looked back up at the statue for a second. "Well, maybe you do." He let out a laugh, putting his hat back on. He turned around and took a few steps towards the open doors before he turned around and walked back up to the statue. "Hey look, I don't need all the answers." He said with anger. "Just a little nudge. A sign." He quietly shouted. He looked down, trying to contain himself. "Any sign will do." He forced a small smile as he looked at the statue for a few seconds before walking away again.

Shane and Carl were sitting on the steps outside as Rick walked out of the church. Carl turned around at the sound of his father's footsteps on the concrete stairs. Rick put his hand on Carl's head as he walked past them.

"Get what you needed?" Shane asked from his seat.

"Guess I'll find out." Rick said as he walked away.

"Come on." Shane said as he grabbed his bag on the ground in front of him. He and Carl both got up and started after Rick.

* * *

**Survivors**

The sun was lower in the sky now as Daryl led the larger group back through the forest. They were taking a break for a few minutes since everyone was tired from walking the entire day. He stopped at a spot he thought would be alright as he leaned against a tree. Kat came up beside him and looked around at the group.

"So this is it?" Carol said as she took a seat on a fallen down tree and looked towards the two of them. "This is the whole plan?"

Daryl sighed a little. "I guess the plan is to whittle us down into smaller and smaller groups."

"Carrying knives and pointy sticks." Andrea said, looking at Lori, who had let the Parang fall to the ground as she took her backpack off. She set it on the fallen tree and unzipped it, getting her water out. "I see you have a gun." Andrea said to her.

"Why, you want it?" Lori said as she looked up at her. She took a few steps forward to Andrea as she reached into her back pocket and pulled out the revolver, handing it to the woman. "Here, take it. I'm sick of the looks you're giving me." Andrea took it from her and Lori turned back around. "All of you." She said as she sat on the tree, she picked her water bottle back up as she looked at Carol. "Honey, I can't imagine what you're going through." She said as Carol looked over at her. "And I would do anything to stop it. But you have got to stop blamin Rick. It is in your face **every** time you look at him. When Sophia ran he didn't hesitate, did he? Not for a second." Carol looked away. "I don't know that any of us would have gone after her the way he did or made the hard decisions that he had to make or that anybody could have done it **any** differently." Lori finished as she looked around at the group, waiting for someone to speak up. "Anybody?" She looked at Daryl and Kat and then to Andrea before looking at the ground and shaking her head. "Y'all look to him and then you blame him when he's not perfect. If you think you can do this without him, go right ahead. Nobody is stoppin you." She said as she took a drink from her water. She sealed the lid and put it back in her bag as Andrea walked towards her. She held the gun back out to her. Lori looked at it as she took it from her before looking back at Andrea's face.

"We should keep moving." Andrea said.

Everyone that had taken a seat, got back up as they walked towards Daryl, who was still leaning against the tree. He jerked his head in the direction he wanted them to walk as the group got closer to him.

* * *

**Rick**

Rick, Shane and Carl were quietly making their way through the forest around the church, looking for any sign of Sophia when they heard a branch snap. Rick raised his hand in the air, causing them to stop as he listened for the direction the noise was coming from. Shane put his hand on Carl's chest as he pulled the boy back a little, wanting him behind him in case something dangerous was up ahead. Rick pointed ahead and slightly to their left through the trees. He held his Python up as Shane did the same with his Mossberg as the two slowly started walking towards the sound of rustling leaves.

They could see a deer through the branches as they got closer. They lowered their weapons. The three of them stopped as they watched the deer walk out of the trees and into the small clearing several yards from them.

Shane raised his Mossberg to his shoulder, ready to aim at the buck's chest. It would've made a good supper when they brought it back to the highway for everyone to eat that night.

"Shane." Rick whispered to his friend. He nodded his head at Carl who was taking slow steps towards the deer. Shane looked at Carl as he lowered his gun. The two of them smiled as they watched the boy.

Carl walked closer and closer to the buck. He was several feet from it when he turned around, looking back at Rick and Shane with a smile on his face. He couldn't believe he was this close. The deer he'd seen in his life were always so skittish. Shane nodded his head at the boy with a smile as Carl turned back around and started walking further.

The buck raised it's head, looking around the area. Carl's foot broke a twig with another step that caused the deer to turn and look right at him, but he didn't run away. He just stared at the boy, still coming closer. If he kept walking for a few more seconds he would be able to touch it if it didn't take off. Rick and Shane stood back and watched, bewildered at the sight, waiting for the deer to bolt out of there.

It happened so fast, Rick wasn't sure what he was looking at at first. There was a loud bang, then Carl and the deer both fell to the ground at the same time.

"Oh, no. No. No, no, no, no!" Rick yelled as he and Shane both ran to Carl, who was now laying on the ground. Eyes shut and not moving. He ran to his son and knelt down over him, seeing the blood seeping through his shirt. Shane came and stood next to Rick and the boy, Mossberg raised into the forest in front of them.


	13. Chapter 12: Bloodletting

_A comment I got from PourquoiBella on Mibba asked why Kat wasn't religious because the Robertson's are...I was just gonna say, cause Kat's her own person. Which is very much true, but I'll go more into detail. The Robertson's being religious, has **nothing** to do with this story. It was never mentioned that they were in this fic. They were just a reason for Kat to be in Georgia (where III placed them. I know they're from Louisiana, I put them in Georgia for the story. Everything about this story...is FICTION.) and they probably aren't even going to be featured again unless I figure out when and where to work them in. But don't hold your breath. They served their purpose. I could've used my own made up people as her family members and not even be putting this little excerpt, BUT, I love Duck Dynasty and the people I featured, (except, Si, whom I LOVE, but couldn't find good spots for him without it becoming all about him and taking away from the story. He has that effect lol) so I thought it would be fun to add them and would make more sense why Kat is good out in the woods. It's my story and that's just how I thought it up...plain and simple. So, that was read wayy too into XD But, great attention to detail I guess. Kat is her own person, as are the boys. So even though some of her family might be religious, the Carsen's don't need to be. I made that much like my own family. Some members of my family are very religious. My immediate family, are not. Far from it. So it's just familiar and I can relate to it, that's why I made them that way, just to clear that up. No back story, or something you missed. Just how she was brought up. So for anyone else who watches Duck Dynasty and thought that much into it and may have been wondering about that, there you are. :) Also, YES! It is going to be a long story :)_

_And umm. I guess people said I needed to put a spoiler alert since I follow closely with the direction the TV show is going, or has gone...Erm..duhhh? I said in the in the first 'chapter' I would go along with the TV show. I might include parts from the comic, as well, since I own them all(thus far anyway-issue 110 baby) and will also go off on my own once I get to a point where I can, or include a few tid bits from the comics. Which will probably be at the end of season 2 since there was a big jump in time. But..If this is a fan fiction story...based on a TV show...I would suspect that you knew there would be spoilers? So: **SPOILER ALERT, FOR THIS CHAPTER AND ONES TO FOLLOW? **(even tho I included it in the introduction page..)_

_-xo_

_On a side note! On a diff fanfic site this story was rated a perfect 10 between several people. That made me go like this :DD I'm glad people are liking it._

_So enjoy the next chapter :)_

* * *

**Bloodletting**

_Please no, please no, please no._ Rick's mind was screaming as he ran through the open plains of Senoia, Georgia, panting and panicked. He was carrying Carl, cradling him against his chest as he ran, bleeding and still unconscious from the bolt action rifle round he'd just taken to the abdomen.

"Come on." Rick groaned as he readjusted the hold he had on his unconscious son. It had been a while since he'd carried the boy, he hadn't realized he'd gotten so big. He only hoped he would be able to see him grow more after this day.

"Hey, you move, shithead! Come on, git I said!" Shane yelled from a few feet behind Rick, a look of anger on his face, to the man the rifle round had come from. The older, heavy set man, Otis, was following Rick and Shane. He was having a hard time with the two cops that were in far better shape than he was and Shane was getting frustrated that he couldn't keep up.

Rick knew it would be too late if he had to keep at a slower pace and wait for the man to give directions. He spun around and looked at him. "How far? How far?!"

"Another half mile that way." Otis huffed, bent over, trying to catch his breath. He pointed his arm in the direction they had been running while he rested the other on his knee. "He-Hershel. Talk to Hershel. He'll help your boy." He said between labored breaths. Rick hardly heard him, as soon as the man had pointed him in the right direction, he had turned and ran.

Shane only gave the man a few seconds to catch his breath before he grabbed Otis by the arm and started hauling him after Rick. "Come on." He'd said as he pulled the bigger man, causing him to fall to the ground from the force he'd yanked him with.

"I'm sorry." The heavy man panted as Shane grabbed his arm again to pull him up.

"Let's go, man. Come on!" He yelled, as he and Otis started after Rick, at a much slower pace.

Rick ran as fast as he could in the direction Otis had pointed him in. He kept his eyes on either the dying grass in front of him or the dying boy in his arms. Soon enough, he saw fencing and a white, two story house peeking out from the few trees that surrounded it. Rick readjusted Carl in his arms again as he saw the house come into view. _Almost there._

* * *

Maggie, the eldest Greene daughter, had been sitting out on the front porch, waiting for Otis to return from his hunt, when she saw a figure running across the open field in front of the house. She grabbed the binoculars that they had sitting on a small end table by the chair there and looked through the lenses. With the new magnified picture, she could see a man in a sheriff's uniform and hat carrying a limp, -appearing to be- lifeless, body of a boy.

"Dad!" She yelled as she turned towards the open screen door of the house. The man kept coming.

Maggie turned and quickly made her way into the house to shout for her father again. All of the occupants of the house started to the front at the sound of all the commotion.

An elderly man in a white, button down shirt and suspenders came out the front screen door of the house first. Hershel, the owner of the property. He was followed closely by a blond woman, Patricia, who was Otis' wife. Maggie, with her younger sister Beth and Beth's boyfriend, Jimmy, followed after her as they all stood on the porch. Jimmy had a baseball bat in his hands as the five stared at the man who was now running across the front yard.

"Was he bit?" Hershel shouted from the porch.

"Shot." Rick said, slowing down as he came up to the house. "By your man."

"Otis?" Patricia asked as the group started down the stairs towards him.

"He said find Hershel. Is that you?" Rick asked. The old man nodded his head at him as he came to take a closer look. "Help me. Help my boy." Rick said, now more frantic.

"Get him inside. Inside!" Hershel said as he turned back around, pointing at and heading for the house. As soon as he cleared the door's threshold, he was unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt so he could roll up his sleeves. "Patricia, I need my full kit." Hershel said, Rick right behind him. "Maggie." He said as he led them into a bedroom right off to the side of the entryway.

"Yeah?" His daughter, replied.

"Painkillers, coagulates- grab everything."

"Okay." She said as she ran to where the old man kept his supplies.

"Clean towels, sheets, alcohol." He shouted towards her. He grabbed the blanket that was on the bed and threw it aside. "In here." He said to Rick, who laid the boy down on the bed. Rick stared down at his son, not sure what to do.

"Pillowcase." Hershel said to him.

"Is he alive?" Rick asked, not taking his eyes from his boy. "Is he-"

"Pillowcase, quick." Hershel repeated. Rick walked around the old man, who was undoing the boy's clothes to get a better look at the wound. Rick grabbed one of the pillows off the bed and started taking it's pillowcase off.

"Is-Is he alive?" He repeated.

"Fold it. Make a pad." Hershel said as Patricia and his daughters came into the room with everything he had asked for. Hershel had his hands pressed firmly onto the shot's entry wound as Rick came back around the other side of him with the makeshift pad.

"Put pressure on the wound." Hershel said as he grabbed the pad from Rick, replacing it with where his hands had been. Rick did as he was told as he pushed down on the pad over the hole in his son's stomach.

Hershel turned around and grabbed his stethoscope from Patricia. Putting the buds in his ears and the diaphragm on the boy's chest, he listened for a few tense seconds. "I've got a heartbeat." He said. Rick quickly nodded. "It's faint."

"I got it, step back." Patricia said, as she scooted her way between Rick and Hershel. Patricia had worked at the clinic with Hershel and was a trained technician. The room became a buzz of activity, then.

"Maggie, IV." Hershel said.

"We need some space." Maggie said as she looked at Rick. He still hadn't taken his eyes off Carl.

"Your name?" Hershel said, finally causing him to look towards him.

"R-Rick."

"Rick?"

"I-I-I'm-I'm Rick." He nodded. The man was in a state of shock.

"Rick, we're gonna do everything we can, okay? You need to give us some room." Hershel said as he looked back at him. "Now." He said, when the man didn't move.

Rick slowly backed away as Hershel, Maggie and Patricia surrounded the boy. He could see movement out of the corner of his eye.

"Move!" He heard Shane yell. He looked out of the window that looked out over the front of the house as he saw Shane and Otis running through the field. Rick slowly made his way to the front door. He walked outside just as Shane and Otis got to the steps. Rick stopped at the top and took off his hat.

"He's alive? He's still alive?" Otis panted.

Rick wiped his hand over his forehead in an attempt to wipe away the sweat from his brow, but in the process smeared his son's blood all over his face.

"Hey...Okay." Shane whispered as he came up the steps to his friend. He took his bag off his shoulder as he went through it, pulling a rag from his pack. "It's okay." He whispered as he ran the rag over Rick's face.

Rick pulled back, not knowing what the man was doing at first. Shane put a hand on his shoulder to hold him still.

"You got blood, man." Shane said as he continued wiping off the blood. "Okay." Once his face was as clean as he could get it, he gave the rag to Rick, who looked down, seeing his blood covered hands and shirt, but not really registering them. Shane had handed it to him, hoping he would wipe some of the blood off, but the look on his face let him know he was still having trouble processing what was going on. "I'll take it from you." Shane said as Rick fumbled with the rag in his hands. Rick finally looked to his friend with tears in his eyes. "Where is he? Where is he? Is he okay?" Shane whispered to him. Rick turned around and stumbled into the house, Shane and Otis following him.

The three walked into the bedroom to see a still unconscious Carl lying on the bed. Hershel was sitting next to him, pressing the pillowcase to the gunshot would, that was still bleeding.

"You know his blood type?" Hershel asked as the men entered.

"A-positive, s-same as mine." Rick answered.

"That's fortunate." Hershel said as he turned to look at him. "Don't wander far. I'm gonna need you..What happened?" He said, looking at Otis.

"I was..trackin a buck." Otis said, pointing into the air, to nowhere in particular. "Bullet went through it. Went clean through."

Hershel looked back at the boy's wound. "The deer slowed the bullet down, which certainly saved his life. But it did not go through clean. It broke up into pieces." He said, as Otis walked around Ricnk and to Patricia, who was standing behind him. "If I can get the bullet fragments out..and I'm countin six."

"I never saw him...not until he was on the ground."Otis said as he came to Patricia, who hugged him.

"Lori doesn't know." Rick said as he looked out over the room.

"Shh, shh. I know." Shane said as he let out a breath. He put his arm over Rick's shoulders as the man started crying.

My wife doesn't know. My wife doesn't know." Rick said, bringing his hand up to cover his eyes.

"Shh, shh." Shane said as he pulled Rick closer to him, leaning his head against his. "You've got to stay with him." He whispered into Rick's ear. "You've gotta stay."

* * *

**The Forest**

Kat was in front with Daryl as they led the rest of the group back to the highway. He kept seeing Kat look behind her every now and then or around the trees surrounding them. And this wasn't the 'making-sure-everyone-is-still-accounted-for' looking around she had been doing earlier in their trek.

"Lose somethin?" Daryl said to her.

Kat looked back at the group still following a couple feet behind them before she looked at his face. She walked a few steps closer to him, her arm against his, as she lowered her voice. "That shot." She said as she raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah." He said, glancing from her face to the trees in front of them.

"That didn't sound like it came from the direction of the RV...and Shane and Rick didn't have a rifle on them." She said, trusting her trained ears. She'd been around many different types of guns in her career and could distinguish the sound of a shot of a rifle, from a handgun, from a shotgun, or from an assault rifle.

Daryl too, being an experienced woodsman, knew the sound of a bolt action rifle when he heard one. It was his father's weapon of choice when they would go hunting. "I know." He whispered back.

Kat looked around the woods in front of them before she leaned into him again. "You don't think-"

"You still worrying about it?" Andrea said to Lori, interrupting them. She'd turned around to see the woman lagging behind. Everyone stopped where they were and looked at the woman. Lori was a few feet away from everyone at the very end of the group, looking back towards the direction they'd just come from.

"It was a gunshot." Lori said without turning around.

"We all heard it." Daryl said as he looked briefly at Kat.

Lori turned around to look at the two. "Why one? Why just **one **gunshot?"

Daryl looked out into the trees around the group before he looked at the woman and slightly shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe they took down a walker." He looked back out into the woods again.

"Please don't patronize me. You know Rick wouldn't risk a **gunshot **to put down one walker. Or Shane. They'd do it quietly." Lori said, looking at him before turning around.

"Shouldn't they have caught up with us by now?" Carol asked looking around at the group, all of them thinking the same thing the woman had just voiced.

_Ugh. Thank you Carol._ Kat shook her head. She didn't want everyone to start worrying and turning this into more of a clusterfuck than it already was.

Daryl took a few steps towards them. "There's nothin we can do about it anyway. Can't run around these woods chasin echoes."

"So what do we do?" Lori turned back towards him.

"Same as we've been. Beat the bush for Sophia, work our way back to the highway."

"I'm sure they'll hook up with us back at the RV." Andrea said as she looked between Carol and Lori.

Lori looked behind her into the woods one more time before she started walking again, causing everyone else to continue. All for Carol and Andrea.

"I'm sorry for what you're going through." Andrea said as she took a few steps towards Carol, who was visibly upset at the fact they still hadn't found any sign of Sophia. "I know how you feel." She said as the group stopped again.

"I suppose you do. Thank you." Carol forced a smile at the woman before looking between her and the rest of the group. "The thought of her out here by herself...it's the not knowin that's killin me. I just keep hopin and prayin she doesn't wind up like Amy."

Andrea's look of concern for the woman changed into a look of sadness as the words came out of her mouth.

Carol, realizing her mistake, stepped forward, grabbing at Andrea's arms. "Oh, God. That's the worst thing I ever said."

Andrea slightly shook her head as she took a breath. "We're all hoping and praying with you..for what it's worth." She said as she stepped back.

Daryl, however, stepped towards the two. "I'll tell ya what it's worth- not a damn thing." He shook his head and he raised his eyebrows as he looked between the two women in front of him. "It's a waste of time all this hopin and prayin...Cause we're gonna locate that little girl, she's gonna be just fine...Am I the only one zen around here?" He said as he turned around and headed back towards the front. "Good Lord."

Lori smiled a bit at the man as he stalked by and took his place next to a smirking Kat as they continued forward. Lori waited for Andrea and Carol to pass her before looking behind her one last time.

* * *

**The Highway**

Dylan was sitting on top of the RV watching out over the highway as Dale was under the hood of another car.

"We are gonna have quite a collection of spare parts, I tell ya." Dale said a few minutes later when T-Dog walked up to him. Dale took his rag and began wiping off the spark plug he'd pulled from the car's engine.

T-Dog just looked at the engine before walking a few steps from him. "Shouldn't they be back by now?"

Dale glanced above him from underneath his bucket hat. "It's still light. Let's not worry just yet." He said as he wiped the spark plug some more. He looked at T-Dog who was a few feet to his other side now. You could see from the different wet patches on the man's shirt that he was still sweating. He hadn't been moving around much all day, so there was no reason for him to be as hot as he was, even in the Georgia heat. "How are you feeling?" Dale asked.

T-Dog looked back at the man and stared, before nodding a little and slowly walking away again.

Dale put the spark plug down and wiped his hands. He picked up his rifle he had leaned against the car behind him, swinging the strap over his shoulder, as he started following after him. "T-Dog?" He said, causing him to turn around. "I asked you how you were feeling just now. Please don't blow that question off." Dale said as he shook his head at the younger man.

"It really, really hurts. It-" T-Dog said, gesturing towards his arm. Dale nodded at him. They had put a clean cloth over it and secured it with electrical tape. "It's throbbin something awful."

"Oh, lemme see." Dale said as he put the rag in his pocket and reached for T-Dog's arm. He pulled up the edge of the cloth and looked at the part of the cut he could see there. He put the cloth back down and pressed it to the man's skin so it would stay covered.

"Ah! Don't-" T-Dog yelled as he grabbed at Dale's hand before letting it go. "Don't touch it." He said more quietly as he leaned back against the truck next to Merle's bike.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Dale said as he held up the hand T-Dog had grabbed. "Listen, your veins are very discolored. You got a hell of an infection there. You could die from blood poisoning."

T-Dog started laughing. _Laughing. _Dylan looked down at them. "Oh, man." T-Dog said. "Wouldn't that be the way? World gone to hell, the dead risen up to eat the livin and Theodore Douglas gets done in by a cut on his arm." T-Dog laughed again.

Dale put his hands on T-Dog's shoulders, trying to calm him down. "Yeah, that would be- that would be stupid. I've been sayin since yesterday, we've gotta get you some antibiotics. We've been ransacking these cars the whole time. I can't believe that we have not found some penicillin or-or something in the-in the whole place. Can you?" He said as he looked around them.

"Seems like there would be." T-Dog said as he lazily looked at the cars surrounding them as well.

"That's what I think. Well, we, uh- we haven't been thorough enough. So let's look some more. All right?" Dale said as he looked at T-Dog. T smiled at him and put a hand on his shoulder, Dale doing the same, before he started walking away from the older man. Dale kept his worried eyes on the man before he turned and looked behind him. "Boys," Dale said, raising his hand to Kaleb and Sam and giving them a _come here_ motion. They walked over to him from the door of the RV. "I want you two to help me with something. We're gonna look in the cars again, but go through the glove boxes and- and the center consoles this time. Bring me any pill bottles if you find any, okay?"

* * *

**The Farm**

"Why'd I let him come with us?" Rick asked. He and Shane were sitting on a couch in the living room of the Greene's house. "I should have sent him with Lori."

Shane shook his head. "You know, you start that, you'll never get that monkey off your back." They were quiet for a few seconds.

"Little girl goes missing, you look for her. Simple. You said call it, head back."

"Doesn't matter what I said."

"Carl got shot because I wouldn't cut bait. It should be me in there." Rick said.

Shane rubbed at his eyes with his hand before he chuckled. "You've been there, partner. Right? And you pulled through. So will he."

"Is that why I got out of that hospital? Found my family for it to end here like this? This some kind of sick joke?" Risk started to raise his voice as he got upset.

"Shh." Shane quieted him. "You stop it. Just stop."

Rick took a breath. "A little girl goes missing...you look for her. It's plain and simple."

Rick and Shane both looked to the bedroom door on the side of the room they were in when they heard it pull open quickly.

"Rick." Maggie said from the doorway. The two men quickly got up and made their way to the door. "He needs blood." She said as they walked in.

Carl's crying and groaning filled the room as Hershel tried to fish out the bullet fragments. The boy had started to wake right as he started.

"You, hold him down." Hershel said as he looked at Shane.

"Dad!" Carl cried.

"I got him." Shane said, pushing around Patricia who was holding the boy down as best she could. He rested his arm on the boy's chest, using his weight to hold him down as Patricia got up and walked to the other side of the bed Rick and Hershel were on. "Shh, shh, shh." Shane kept repeating as Carl cried and screamed. Patricia was cleaning off the site on Rick's arm where she would stick the needle to begin drawing blood.

Hershel stuck his surgical forceps into the wound on Carl's abdomen, grabbing at the bullet fragment again, trying to pull it to the surface. "Almost there." Hershel said, pulling another scream from the boy as he pushed against Shane.

"Stop!" Rick yelled as he listened to his son scream. "You're killin him!"

"Rick, do you want him to live?" Hershel said as he tried to put the forceps back into the wound as Carl struggled, pulling at the bed sheets.

"He needs blood." Patricia said, grabbing for Rick's arm again.

"Do it now!" Shane yelled as he looked at them.

Rick looked at Patricia, letting her take his arm again as they all listened to Carl crying. She quickly stuck the needle in his arm.

Carl looked at Shane with another grunt as he tried to push away. Shane pulled his arm back enough to run his hand over the boy's head, trying to soothe him when he stopped crying, his head falling limply to the side.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait." Shane quietly said, panicked, causing Rick to turn around. "Wait. Wait. Hey." Shane said, looking at Carl before looking to Hershel.

"He just passed out." Hershel assured him. He reached the forceps back into the wound more easily without the boy struggling, and pulled out the bullet fragment. "One down..." Hershel said as he held up the fragment with the forceps. He let it fall into the metal kidney basin with a clink. "Five to go."

After Hershel put a bandage on the boy's wound and secured it with surgical tape, Patricia started getting him ready for the blood transfusion Rick was providing.

* * *

Hershel was checking his blood pressure after awhile of replacing the blood he'd lost. He was using his stethoscope and letting the air hiss out of the small mercury sphygmomanometer he had on the bed. "Pressure's stable." He said as Patricia leaned over to make sure the small tubes for the transfusion were secure on Carl's arm.

"Lori needs to be here." Rick said from his seat in the chair next to Carl's bed. "She doesn't even know what's going on. I've gotta go find her. Bring her back."

"You can't do that." Hershel said.

"She's his mother." Rick said with a stern tone. "She needs to know what's happened. Her son's lying here shot." He held his hand out to his boy in the bed next to him while shaking his head.

"And he's going to need more blood. He can't go more than 50 feet from this bed." Hershel looked across the room to Shane by the window. The man briefly put his hand up and nodded his head. _I got it._

Patricia helped a shaky Rick to his feet, trying to hold him up. Shane walked in front of him. "Hey. Hey. Come on." He said as he gently took hold of Rick's arm to help him.

"I'm all right. I'm all right." Rick patted his friend's chest before slowly making his way to the door.

Shane looked at Hershel before following him out. "I got him."

Rick opened the door up and started walking back out into the living area they had been sitting in before. He used the wall a bit to steady himself and made his way to a chair where he sat down. Maggie, who was sitting in the living room with Otis, sat up straighter in her chair, waiting for any word on the boy. Rick didn't say anything so she looked towards Shane as he shut the door behind them. He leaned up against the wall outside of the room Carl was in. "He's stable for now."

Otis sat back in his seat and Maggie let out a small breath she had been holding.

"Lori needs to be here Shane, she has to know." Rick said, looking up to his friend from his chair.

"Okay. I get that. I'm gonna handle it." Shane said, nodding at him. "But you gotta handle your end."

Rick furrowed his brow. "My-my end?"

Shane pulled the legs of his pants up slightly so he could squat down next to Rick more comfortably. "Your end is being here for your son. Even if he didn't need your blood to survive, there is no way I'd ever let you walk out that door. Man, I'd break your legs if you tried. I mean, you know that, right?" He said as he looked at him.

Rick didn't reply. He just looked away from Shane and looked at the floor between his legs.

"If something happened to him and you weren't here..." Shane started. He had to stop at just the thought of the boy he loved, dying. He looked down at the ground in front of him before looking back to Rick, who was rubbing at his eyes. "If-If he slipped away while you were gone, you would never forgive yourself for that. And neither would Lori, man."

Rick kept his fingers pressed to his eyes. He finally sat back up and looked at him as he nodded. "You're right."

"When was I ever wrong?" Shane raised his eyebrows with a smirk before he laughed. He rested his elbow on his knee and brought his hand up to his mouth to cover his smile a bit. Rick smiled back at him before he turned and looked out over the living room ahead of him.

"You know, when-" Shane said, bringing his hand from his mouth to his forehead and lightly resting it there. He looked at the floor, remembering something. "when you were in that hospital, the one you were never supposed to leave, **man**, you shoulda seen Lori." Shane said, resting both hands out in front of him now as the men looked at each other. He scooted closer to Rick. "She was like...the strength of that woman..." He laughed. "You can't imagine it." Rick nodded as Shane put his hand on his shoulder. "See-see that's what you've gotta have now. I mean, Carl- he needs that from you. So you wire yourself tight, my friend." Shane whispered to him.

"Hmm?"

"You hear?" Shane said as he brought his hand up to Rick's head, holding his forehead to his. Rick did the same. "You've got the hard part. You just leave the rest to me, okay?"

"All right."

"All right." Shane said as they pulled away.

The door to Carl's room opened as Shane stood up, giving Hershel room to walk out. Everyone in the room stood and watched, waiting, as Hershel wiped his hands on the cloth he had.

"He's out of danger for the moment." The old man said. "But I need to remove those remaining fragments."

"How? You saw how he was." Rick said, shaking his head.

"I know, and that was the shallowest one." Hershel said. "I need to go deeper to get the others."

"Oh, man." Shane sighed as Rick looked away.

"There's more."

"Tell me." Rick said as he looked back to the man.

"His belly's distended, his pressure is droppin, which means there's internal bleedin. A fragment musta nicked one of the blood vessels." Everyone was quiet for a second as they took in the new information. Rick, who's face was already pale from the blood he'd given, somehow turned even lighter. "I have to open him up, find the bleeder and stitch it. And he can't move while I'm in there- I mean, at all. If he reacts the same as before, I'll sever an artery and he'll be dead in minutes...To even try this, I have to put him under. But if I do, he won't be able to breathe on his own. Same bad results."

Rick looked around the room briefly. "What'll it take?"

"You need a respirator." Otis said as he stepped closer to them. "What else?"

"The tube that goes with it, extra surgical supplies, drapes, sutures." Hershel answered as he looked at him.

"If you had all that you could save him?" Rick asked.

Hershel looked back at him. "If I had all that, I could **try**."

"Nearest hospital went up in flames a month ago." Otis shook his head a bit. Hershel looked at him with a knowing expression. "The high school." Otis said as he understood.

"That's what I was thinkin. They set up a FEMA shelter there. They would have everything we need." Hershel explained to the new comers.

"Place was overrun last time I saw it. You couldn't get near it. Maybe it's better now." Otis said, unsure.

Shane nodded a little at the thought. _Maybe_. "I said, leave the rest to me. Is it too late to take that back?" He smirked a little.

"I hate you goin alone." Rick said as he looked at his friend.

"Come on." Shane smiled. "Doc, why don't you do me a list and draw me a map?"

"You won't need a map...I'll take you there. Ain't but five miles."

"Otis, no." Patricia said with a stern tone, shaking her head from the doorway to Carl's room.

"Honey, we don't have time for guesswork and **I'm** responsible. I ain't gonna sit here while this fella takes this on alone." He tilted his head towards Shane as he looked at his wife. "I'll be all right."

"Are you sure about this?" Shane asked the man.

"You even know what any of the stuff he's talking about looks like?" Otis smiled at him a little.

"Come to think, no."

"I've been a volunteer EMT. I do. We can talk about this till next Sunday or we could just go do it real quick."

"I'll take right quick."

"I should thank you." Rick said as he looked at Otis. Despite him being the one that got them in this situation, he was risking his life for his boy if the high school was still overrun.

Otis looked at him. "Wait till that boy of yours is up and around. Then we'll talk. I'll gather some things." He said as he walked away.

Rick and Shane looked at each other as Maggie made her way across the room to Rick. "Where is she, your wife?" She asked.

* * *

**The Forest**

"I haven't seen anything." Kat said, looking around at the ground in front of them. "You?" She looked at Daryl. He just shook his head. She could tell he was a little frustrated at the lack of evidence from the little girl. Kat looked up around at the trees at the sound of a nearby bird. She could see the sun shining through the branches from it's low spot in the sky. "It's gonna be dark soon."

Daryl nodded as he looked at her. He turned towards the group, that was now stopped slightly behind them. "We'll lose the light before too long. I think we should call it."

Lori looked out into the forest ahead of them. "Let's head back."

"We'll pick it up again tomorrow?" Carol asked from next to her.

"Yeah, we'll find her tomorrow." Lori looked at her and nodded her head.

Daryl whistled towards them, getting their attention as he started leading them away again.

"To a kid, everything looks the same out here. Trees, dirt, leaves." Kat said quietly as she walked closer to Daryl again. "She probably got turned around after she got spooked. Didn't know which way was what."

Daryl nodded, understanding what she was getting at. "We'll widen our search area tomorrow."

* * *

**The Farm**

"Just get what you need and get out of there." Rick said, putting a hand on Shane's shoulder as they all walked out to the blue pickup truck he and Otis would be taking into town.

"You stay strong all right?" Shane said to him as he loaded his bag into the back of the truck.

Patricia made her way around the back and hugged Otis tightly, sobbing into his shoulder.

Rick took his Magnum Colt Python out of it's holster and held it in his hand as he walked around the truck towards Otis and Patricia, who pulled away from each other. Rick held his gun out to the man.

Otis looked down at it then to Hershel before taking the gun from Rick. "That's a fine weapon, Rick. I'll bring it back in good shape." He nodded at him and walked to the back of the truck, putting the gun into his bag and grabbing his rifle. Shane hit his hand on the bed of the truck a couple times, letting him know he was ready to get going.

Otis looked at Patricia one more time as they got into the truck. Otis set his rifle in between he and Shane so that it was leaning against the seat. Shane looked down at the weapon. The same gun that had shot Carl. He looked up at Otis who realized what the man was thinking. Otis nodded. "Only one I got."

Shane let out a breath and shook his head a tiny bit as he rested his arm on the door. Otis started the engine. "Man, this turned into one **strange** day." Shane said.

"Didn't it though?"

Patricia watched the blue truck go down the dirt driveway. She turned and started walking towards the house as she shook her head.

Hershel put his hand on Rick's arm. "Let's check on your boy."

* * *

**The Highway**

T-Dog was sitting on a crate, leaning his back up against the RV, smoking a cigarette. The Carsen boys were further down the road still going through more cars although they hadn't found much.

Dale was making his way over to T, his hands full of goodies. "Found some more batteries." He said as he came closer. "A bottle of very trendy pink water, an excellent new machete, and I thought Glenn might like this guitar." He said as he started putting everything down. "Maybe he plays." He sat down on a metal bucket next to T-Dog. "No drugs...You?"

T-Dog took another drag of the cigarette and let the smoke come out of his mouth before answering. "Yeah, ibuprofen...and these." He said, waving the cigarette around. The two sat in silence for a few seconds before T-Dog spoke up again.

"What are we doin?"

Dale shrugged. "Pulling supplies together." He said, looking around in front of them at the things they and the group had gathered over the last day.

"No, I mean...what are we doin?" T-Dog said as he looked at him. "People off in the woods, they's lookin for that poor girl and we're here. Why?" Dale looked at him confused before T started talking again. "Cause they think we're the weakest...Wh-what are you, 70?" He asked as he looked out in front of him and brought the cigarette back to his lips.

"64." Dale answered.

"Uh-huh...And I'm the one black guy. Realize how precarious that makes my situation?"

Dale looked at him. "What the hell are you talkin about?"

"Mm. I'm talkin about two good-old-boy cowboy sheriffs, a spec ops agent, and a redneck whose brother cut off his own hand because I dropped a key." T-Dog looked back at him. "Who in that scenario you think is gonna be first to get lynched?"

"You can't be serious." Dale raised his eyebrows at the man. T-Dog turned away. "Am I- hey, am I missing something?"Dale pointed to his own chest. "That girl and those..**cowboys** have done all right by us. And if I'm not mistaken, that redneck went out of his way to save your ass- more than once."

"And don't forget about Andrea. Kills her own sister."

"She was already dead."

"Then wants to blow herself up...Yeah, she's all there." T-Dog looked at him again before turning away.

Dale looked at him incredulously. "She's havin a tough time. What is wrong with you?"

"The whole world's havin a tough time." T-Dog looked at him. "Damn, man. Open your eyes." T-Dog said, gesturing to the space in front of them. He raised his voice. "Look where we are- stuck in this mess here!"

Dale put his hands up. "Shh! Shh!" He slowly lowered his hands as T calmed down.

T-Dog put his head in his hand before he leaned back. "Let's- let's just go. Let's just..take the RV." He said, banging his hand back lightly on the RV's metal wall, looking at Dale behind heavy eyelids.

Dale looked at him with wide eyes. "You've gone off the deep end." Dale said as he started to stand up.

"I mean it, man. Why are we- Why are we on the side of this road like live bait. Let's go, you and me." T-Dog was panting as Dale walked closer to him. "Let's go before they get back."

Dale reached his hand out towards T-Dog, who leaned away, not knowing what he was doing. Dale held his other hand out, letting him know he wasn't going to hurt him, as he put his other hand to the man's forehead. "Oh, my God. You're burnin up. Give me that. Come on." He said as he pointed to the bottle of ibuprofen. T-Dog handed it to him. Dale unscrewed the cap and poured several pills out into his hand. "Here, take these. We've gotta knock that fever down." He said, putting the pills into T-Dog's hand as he leaned over and grabbed the water. He opened it and handed it to him. "Here."

T-Dog grabbed the bottle from him and took a sip, washing the pills down his throat. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the RV.

Dylan and the boys started walking back towards the RV with some more tools and a few small things of food, snacks mostly.

Dale looked in their direction before looking out towards the woods. "Where the hell are they?"

* * *

**The Forest**

Daryl and Kat were in front of the small group, walking back in the direction of the cars as the sun was setting around them. The group was spread out behind them as they walked at a leisurely pace.

"How much farther?" Lori asked.

"Not much. Maybe 100 yards..as the crow flies." Daryl said, keeping his eyes ahead of him.

"Too bad we're not crows." Andrea said. She started venturing away from the group a bit.

They walked like that for a little while, Andrea several yards away. She could still see them so didn't bother coming closer again. No one noticed she had walked off by herself as the group was spread out a little as it was. She climbed over a fallen tree and kept walking. Right into a very large spider web. "Oh..Oh!" She said in disgust, trying to brush the webbing off of her clothes. She started walking again as she threw the web to the ground. "As the crow flies, my ass." She said as she walked through the tall grass. The sound of low growling made her turn around. She screamed at the sight of a Walker. It had been standing behind a tree and moved towards her as she went by. It tried to grab at her shoulders as she screamed and backed up.

The group stopped, looking around at the sound of screaming.

"Andrea?" Lori yelled as she spun around, not seeing the woman. Daryl took off in the direction he heard the screams and the rest of the group followed.

Andrea tried to shove the Walker away, slicing the knife at it's chest as she pushed against it, but it kept coming. It grabbed onto her shoulders again as she pushed it back, leaving her knife jammed in it's chest in the process. She kept backing up and tripped over a large branch on the ground. She landed on her back as the Walker kept coming towards her. She scooted back with her hands and feet as it stepped over the branch that sent her to the ground. "Help me!" She yelled between her screams as the Walker tried to grab her legs. She kept pushing herself back away from it, but it was faster now that she wasn't on her feet. It tried to grab her again as she put her feet up on it's chest, trying to hold it back as the group ran towards her. She pushed her legs out as much as she could against the Walker, trying to keep it from grabbing her until the group made it to her.

Andrea could hear the sound of heavy hooves to her left, the Walker hearing it too, as it looked in the direction of the noise. It stood up slightly, only to be greeted with a baseball bat to the head as a woman on a horse ran by. The Walker fell to the ground from the force of the hit. The woman pulled the reins back and turned the horse around as she came back over to Andrea who was still lying on the ground.

"Lori? Lori Grimes?" She asked as she looked down at Andrea. "Whoa." She said, pulling the reins again to stop the horse.

The group ran up at that moment. "I'm Lori."

"Rick sent me." Maggie said as she looked at the woman who spoke up. "You've gotta come now."

"What?" Lori looked at her confused. Who was this girl? She'd never seen her in her life.

"There's been an accident. Carl's been shot. He's still alive but you've gotta come now." Maggie said as Lori looked at her with wide eyes, not sure what to do. "Rick needs you. Just come." Maggie said, tilting her head to the horse's back.

Lori quickly started taking off her back bag and handed it to Kat, making Daryl look at her. He put his crossbow in his other hand as he held his arm out, pointing towards Maggie. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. We don't know this girl. You can't get on that horse."

Lori ignored him and put her foot into the stirrup of the saddle as Maggie helped her up. "Rick said you had others on the highway, that big traffic snarl?" She said.

"Uh-huh." Glenn nodded.

"Backtrack to Fairburn Road. Two miles down is our farm. You'll see the mailbox. The name's Greene. Hyah!" Maggie said as she gave the horse a kick and sent it running in the direction she'd come from.

The group stood there and watched the two ride off, a little unsure of what the hell just happened. The Walker that Maggie had hit with the bat sat up, wheezing and groaning as the group looked at it.

"Shut up." Daryl said as he raised his crossbow and nonchalantly pulled the trigger, sending a bolt into it's head before he just walked off.

Kat raised her eyebrows and looked at Carol and Glenn before she walked over to the Walker and pulled the bolt out of it's head.

She walked up next to Daryl and tugged the handkerchief out of his back pocket. He turned his head quickly to look at her when he felt the cloth being pulled out of his pants. She didn't look at him as she wiped the blood and gunk from his bolt while they kept walking. _She ain't gonna put it back is she? _He wasn't sure how he would feel about her shoving her hand into his back pocket..even if he wouldn't mind putting his hand in hers...

She looked at him when she was done, noticing the questioning look in his eyes. She gave him a smile and held the rag out to him. He took it from her and tucked the end of it back into his pocket. She waited till his hand was free before she handed him the bolt.

Kat looked behind them to make sure everyone was following before she looked back into the direction Maggie and Lori had rode off in. She turned back around. "What the hell?"

* * *

**The Highway**

"Shot? What do you mean shot?" Dale asked as the group made their way back up the hill. He walked closer to the guard rail as Glenn climbed over it.

"I don't know, Dale. I wasn't there. All I know is this chick rode out of nowhere like Zorro on a horse and took Lori."

Dale looked at Daryl as he and Kat climbed over the guard rail with Carol. "You let her?"

"Climb down outta my ass, old man." Daryl said, looking at him before walking past. "Rick sent her. She knew Lori's name and Carl's."

Kat watched him walk off as she leaned next to Glenn against the red SUV they were standing in front of. She put her arm around Sam's shoulders when he came up next to her.

Carol sat down on the guard rail as Andrea climbed over. Dale looked at her. She had dirt smeared on her face and clothing. "I heard screams. Was that you?" Andrea didn't look at him. She walked past him and towards the RV.

"She got attacked by a Walker. It was a close call." Glenn said.

"Andrea, are you all right?" Dale asked as he looked from Glenn over to her.

She got to the door of the RV and turned around to look at him. She shook her head and sighed as she turned to open the door. She climbed up the steps and slammed the door behind her, causing Dale to jump slightly.

Kat took a deep breath as she started walking towards her car, dropping her arm from Sam's shoulder. She hadn't brought a bag with her on their trip today and needed something to drink. Dylan and Sam walked over to Carol and sat next to her.

"Is Carl okay?" Kaleb looked up at Kat with a worried look for his friend as he followed her to her car next to Merle's Triumph. Daryl was sitting on the ground next to it.

Kat opened the passenger door of her car and leaned in, grabbing the two water bottles she had up front. She shut the car door and turned around, leaning against it. She looked down at her little brother as Daryl looked up at her. "I don't know, sweetie." She said as she handed Kaleb one of the water bottles. She wasn't going to look him in the eyes and lie to him. Tell him that yes, his friend is fine, he's going to live, when she didn't know for sure what kind of situation he was in. He took the bottle from her and she ran the hand that had been holding it through his hair. "Why don't you go sit with Carol?" She said. Kaleb nodded. Kat could see that the older woman took comfort in the children being around her. It gave her something to do. Something to keep her occupied.

Daryl poured the rest of the water he had onto his handkerchief, trying to clean the last of the blood off. _Why'd I do that?_ He thought as he wrung the water out. He was thirsty. Dale had went into the RV after everyone went their separate ways. To the RV..where Andrea was inside...with all of the water. There wasn't any yelling and Dale hadn't walked back outside looking hurt, but either way, he did **not** want to go in there right now.

Kat watched him as he squeezed the handkerchief again before he lifted his hips off the ground to shove it into his back pocket. She slid to the ground and put her legs out in front of her, bending her knees. She rested her arms over her legs and leaned her head back against her car as she closed her eyes.

"This lot's got good luck with kids so far, huh?" Daryl said as he looked across from him at her. He spread his legs out in front of him, off to one side of her.

"Pfft." Kat scoffed, shaking her head. She opened her eyes as she unscrewed the cap off the bottle of water she still had. She took a few sips, looking at his empty bottle. "Blake's dead. Sophia's missing. And now Carl's shot. All in a few days...Yeah. We've got great luck."

Daryl looked down and started messing with his Horton. Kat put the cap back on her water bottle before handing it over to him. He looked at it for a second before taking it from her and taking a couple drinks. He wasn't used to sharing, and she was so willing. With **him**, of all people. He wasn't complaining. But he didn't completely get why. They were...what were they..friends? A close acquaintance? He didn't think he knew much about her before all this for them to have been friends. They'd only hung out a few times. _A crush. That's for sure_. And she still didn't know much about him_. _But even from what she'd seen of him so far, especially his temper, she still didn't mind being near him, and he was thankful for that. She was like the last sliver of what his life used to be, before the dead came back to life. _Haven't sent her runnin yet_.

* * *

**The Farm**

Rick walked out onto the porch of the Greene's house, looking out at the land. If he hadn't known any better, he would've thought it was just another normal day out in the Georgia country side. The screen door opened again as Hershel walked out and over towards him.

"This place is beautiful." Rick said to him as they looked out over the yard and fields ahead of them.

"Been in my family 160 years." Hershel said.

"I can't believe how serene it is. How untouched. You're lucky."

"We weren't completely unscathed. We lost friends, neighbors. The epidemic took my wife, my stepson."

"I'm sorry." Rick said.

"My daughter's were spared. I'm grateful to God for that...These people here, all we've got left is each other. Just hoping we can ride it out in peace till there's a cure."

Rick let out a breath. "We were at the CDC. It's-it's gone now. There is no cure." Rick said as he looked at the old man.

"I don't believe it." Hershel shook his head and smiled. "When AIDS came along, everyone panicked. One boy in town came down with it and some parents pulled their children from school so they didn't have to sit in the same room."

"This is a whole other thing." Rick shook his head as he turned to face the man.

"That's what we always say- 'This one's different.'"

"Well, this one is."

Hershel smiled again. "Mankind's been fightin plagues from the start. We get our behinds kicked for a while then we bounce back. It's nature correctin herself, restorin some balance."

_Is this man that delusional? Has he seen what this does?_ Rick raised his eyebrows. "I wish I could believe that."

They both looked out to the field in front of the house as they heard the sound of hooves hitting hard ground. They saw Maggie and the horse galloping towards them, Lori sitting behind her, holding on to the young woman's waist.

Rick walked down the steps as they got closer. Maggie slowed the horse to a stop and Lori quickly hopped down as Rick walked over to her. Her eye's widened at all the blood still on his shirt. She started sobbing as he grabbed her, pulling her to his chest as she wrapped her arms around him. Rick held her tight for a few seconds before he started backing up and they both turned towards the house.

"I'm sorry." Rick said when Lori put her hand on his chest as they stopped in the doorway of the room Carl was in. Lori's mouth fell open at the sight of her son, lying unconscious, a bandage taped to his stomach. Rick held her close to him again as he kissed the side of her head. She took a shaky breath as she walked away from him and further into the room, climbing onto the bed.

She put her hands on either side of Carl's face and looked at him before she readjusted herself and laid down beside him. She put her hand on his bare shoulder. "My boy." She quietly sobbed. "My baby boy. Baby boy. It's okay." She whispered as Rick walked over to them. "Mama's here. Mama's here. You're gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay." She nodded her head, trying to convince herself that, more than anybody. "We're gonna make you okay." She said as she reached behind her and grabbed Rick's other hand. He had placed his other on her hip as he stood next to them. He rested his hands against her as he knelt down and laid his forehead against the mattress.

* * *

Patricia was putting bandages over both Carl and Rick's arms again after another transfusion. Rick had taken his bloody sheriff's shirt off, only donning the white t-shirt he had on underneath now. He tried to get up from his chair as he groaned, his stomach doing flips.

"Slow. Slow." Lori said as she put her hands on his shoulders, sitting him back down. "How many transfusions?"

"Two. Only two."

"He wanted to do the same for you when you were in the hospital. I had to talk him out of it." Lori laughed. Rick smiled a little as he held her hand.

Lori helped him walk as they made their way to the dining room. Hershel met them there and held out a glass of fresh orange juice to Rick.

"Thank you." He said as he took it and brought it to his lips. He took a sip before bringing the glass back down, but Hershel raised his hand, urging him to drink more.

"Okay, so I understand, when Shane gets back with this other man-" Lori started, leaning against the chair in front of her.

"Otis." Hershel said.

"Otis. The idiot who shot my son." Lori looked way.

"Ma'am, it **was** an accident."

"I'll take that under advisement later. For now he's the idiot who shot our son." She said as Rick put his hand over hers.

"Lori, they're doin everything they can to make it right." He said.

"Okay, so as soon as they get back you can perform this surgery?" She asked.

"I'll certainly do my best." Hershel said.

"Okay. You've done this procedure before?" Lori nodded at him.

"Well, yes, in a sense."

"In a sense?"

"Honey, we don't have the luxury of shopping for a surgeon." Rick said to her.

Lori let out a nervous laugh as she rested her other hand on top of his. "No, I understand that. But I mean you're a doctor, right?"

Hershel nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Of course. A vet."

"A veteran? A combat medic?" Lori raised her eyebrows, almost impressed.

"A veterinarian."

All amusement vanished from her face as the words came from his mouth. She didn't know what to say as she looked at Rick. "And you've done this..surgery before on what?" She said as she looked back at Hershel. "Cows? Pigs?"

Rick pulled the chair that was next to him out as he started to feel his head spin. "I- I have- I have to sit." He stuttered as he very, unharmoniously, fell down into the chair, knocking his glass of orange juice all over the table. Lori quickly grabbed the glass, sitting it upright before bringing her hands to her husband's shoulders, trying to steady him as he sat up straight.

"Completely in over your head, aren't you?" Lori said quietly as she looked at Hershel across the table. Rick was concentrating on taking deep breaths.

Hershel looked at her. "Ma'am..aren't we all?"

* * *

**The Highway**

"I won't do it. We can't just leave."

"Carol, the group is split. We're scattered and weak." Dale said to her. The group had formed a circle after they'd eaten what they could and regrouped.

"What if she comes back and we're not here?" Carol said as she looked around at them. "It could happen."

"If Sophia found her way back and we were gone, that would be awful." Andrea said.

"Okay." Daryl nodded. "We gotta plan for this. I say tomorrow mornin is soon enough to pull up stakes. Give us a chance to rig a big sign, leave her some supplies. Me and Kat'll hold here tonight, stay with the RV." Kat nodded at him at the mention of her name.

"If the RV is staying, I am too." Dale said.

"Thank you." Carol looked between them. "Thank you both." Daryl gave her a nod as they looked at Andrea.

"I'm in."

"Well if you're all staying then I'm-" Glenn started but Dale stopped him.

"Not you, Glenn. You're going. Take Carol's Cherokee."

"Me? Why is it always me?" Glenn asked, holding his arms out at his sides.

"You have to find this farm, reconnect with our people and see what's going on. But most important, you have to get T-Dog there. This is not an option." Dale said. Carol looked around, finally noticing T-Dog hadn't joined them. They all laid their eyes on the man as they found him. He was sitting on the RV's back bumper, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He may have been running a fever and be out in the Georgia heat, but now he was complaining that he was cold. "That cut has gone from bad to worse. He has a very serious blood infection." Dale continued. Daryl perked up at the word 'infection' glancing back at the motorcycle for a second. He looked back at Dale before he started walking to Merle's bike. Kat turned and watched him as he walked away. "Get him to that farm. See if they have any antibiotics. Because if not, T-Dog will die, no joke." Dale finished. He looked over to where Daryl had walked off to.

Daryl picked up the rag Dale had left sitting on the bike's seat and looked at the old man before digging into the bag he had on the bike. He pulled out a large zip lock bag full of pills and prescription bottles. He walked back over to the group, throwing the rag in his hands at Dale when he got closer. "Keep your oily rags off my brother's motorcycle." He said as Dale caught the rag when it hit his chest. Daryl put the bag of pills down on the hood of Carol's Cherokee as he opened it and started going through it. "Why'd you wait till now to say anything? Got my brother's stash." Daryl said as Dale and the others came closer to him. Daryl picked up the bottles in the bag, one by one, reading the labels Merle had either wrote or that they had come with."Crystal, X. Don't need that. Got some kick ass painkillers." He said as he pulled a bottle out and tossed it to Glenn before sticking his hand back in the bag. "Oxycycline." He pulled another bottle out after reading the label. He turned and tossed it to Dale, who caught it. Daryl pointed to him. "Not the generic stuff neither. It's first class. Merle got the clap on occasion." Daryl shrugged as he picked the bag up and walked back over to the motorcycle to put the rest of the drugs away.

_Of course he did._ Kat raised her eyebrows and smiled as she watched him walk to the bike. She remembered seeing the girls Merle would be talking to at the bar when she saw them. Skirts that hardly covered their ass, tits popping out of their shirts, and no class to speak of. _Of course._

Dale smiled as he looked at the antibiotics and over to T-Dog.

* * *

**The Farm**

The sun had gone down awhile ago as Hershel took Carl's blood pressure. "Pressure's droppin again. We can't wait much longer." He said as he looked to Rick and Lori who were at the back of the room.

"Take some more. Whatever he needs. Then I'm gonna go." Rick said as he walked towards him, pointing to the bandage on his arm from the transfusions.

"Go? Go where?" Lori said.

Rick turned around and looked at her. "He said five miles. They should be long back by now. Somethin's gone wrong."

"Are you insane? You're not goin after them." Lori shook her head.

"Rick, listen to your wife." Hershel said from Carl's bedside.

"If they got into trouble-" Rick started.

"You're in no condition to do anything about it. You've given too much blood. You're barely on your feet. You wouldn't make it across the yard." Hershel said.

"If something happened, I have to go."

Lori shook her head and stepped towards him. "No, your place it here. If Shane said he'll be back, he'll be back. He's like you that way."

"I can't just sit here." Rick said as he leaned towards her.

"That's exactly what you do!" Lori shouted at him. "If you need to pray or cry or tell God he's cruel, you go right ahead, but you're not leavin, Rick. Carl needs you- here." She said as she looked at him. "And I can't do this by myself." She whispered. "Not this one. I can't...I can't."

Rick stared at her as he let her words sink in. What Shane had said to him earlier started replaying in his head._"If he slipped away while you were gone, you would never forgive yourself for that. And neither would Lori..."_


	14. Chapter 13: Save The Last One

_Another update within a day? What is this, right? My weekends are basically Sunday's and Monday's so I was bored last night and today. So enjoy another chapter :) xo_

* * *

**Save The Last One**

"Rick, just...you've gotta keep your strength up." Lori said. Rick was sitting in his chair next to Carl's bed, holding the plate of food Hershel had given him, but not eating it. Lori was sitting on the bed, facing Carl, his hand in hers.

"Lori, did you...And I mean, it was- it was legendary. Did you ever hear about the time Shane stole Kingsley's car?" Rick asked her as he set the plate of food on the end table behind him.

"Yeah." She nodded.

"The principal's car right out of the teacher's lot in the middle of a school day. Shane steps out of lunch and makes a beeline to Kingsley's Hyundai." Rick chuckled. "Wires the ignition, peels out, drives down Dylan Drive to that chicken farm out there. You've heard this before, right? So he pulls it into one of the big holdin pens. Kingsley, he waxed that thing every month; had the auto shop vacuum it out every week. Shane, he parks it in this huge pen with a couple of hundred Rhode Island reds. He busts open bags of seed in the back seat, rolls down all the windows, and then starts sprinting back to school. It's three miles away easy. He's back in time to finish his sandwich before the bell. And then the bell rings. Shane gets up and when he runs into Kingsley in the hallway he looks out the window and says, 'Principal Kingsley, your coupe's gone.'" Rick laughed a little while he shook his head. "Coupe, like chicken coop."

"I get it." Lori sadly smiled as she looked at her son's hand in hers.

"Of course you do. You've heard this story 1,000 times...What you said before, you're right. Shane's gonna make it back with what the doctor needs. He'll make it back."

"Hershel said you need to eat." Lori said as she stared at her son's face.

"Carl's gonna be all right." Rick said as he looked at his wife. She looked over at him, her cheeks still moist from the tears that had been flowing minutes before.

"Please, for me." Lori said as she tilted her head to the plate behind Rick. "You've gotta keep your strength up."

Rick nodded and leaned back in his chair. He turned around and picked up the plate, bringing it to his lap. Lori watched him as he finally took a bite of the sandwich that had been sitting there for a while.

* * *

**The Highway**

Kat had grabbed her sleeping bag and put Kaleb, Sam and Dylan in her car for the night to let them sleep as her and Daryl were walking up and down part of the highway. They were just making the rounds, making sure there were no Walkers hidden behind the cars that no one could see from on top of the RV.

Glenn had left for the Greene's farm with a much better looking T-Dog a little bit ago. The antibiotics Daryl had given Dale for the man had started lowering his fever as soon as the drugs got into his system. His veins around the gash had been looking a lot better as well when they left. Dale still urged them to go, hoping the people at the Greene's household would be better equipped to help him, as the gash was still open and vulnerable.

Kat and Daryl had reached a part of the highway where it was completely blocked from guard rail to guard rail with cars when they decided to turn around and head back to the RV. Daryl decided he was going to sleep in there tonight instead of a car's hood again. Although he'd liked the company, he almost felt like he could've gotten a better night's sleep in a tree, he had before. He didn't want to come right out and ask her to stay in the RV with him, so he had asked if she was going to sleep in there tonight. She got the subtle hint, which was why she had her sleeping back tucked up under her arms now as they made their way back to the RV.

"Good thing Merle slept around, I guess. He wouldn't have had those antibiotics to share with T-Dog...Indirectly, anyway." Kat said as they walked.

Daryl nodded. "Coulda been fucked otherwise." He said. He chuckled a bit after a second, when he realized his choice of words.

"Pun intended or no?" Kat smiled, noting the word play.

Daryl shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe."

Kat was a little curious, now. He was Merle's brother after all and the older Dixon seemed to have had a leash on him. She'd seen it herself from Merle before. And from Kat's experience when it came to older siblings, it could be one of two ways: Avoid the same things at all costs. Or monkey see, monkey do. "He ever have to share em with you?" Kat had a smile on while she bumped into his arm with hers, she watched his face.

He looked down at her quickly. He didn't want her to think of him that way. Having the same sexual tendencies as his brother. "No. Merle was too stupid to wrap it up." Daryl said as he looked ahead of them.

"And you weren't?" She asked.

"No." He said, then cleared his throat. He wasn't going to tell her he had hooked up several times with a few girls at Jake's, but he was always careful about it. He didn't want to end up like Merle, catching venereal diseases like Pokémon. Hell, Daryl could count the times he'd had sex in his whole life using a hand and a half. _Pathetic for someone in his 30s_. He could hear Merle say in his head. His interest perked a little, though. "You?" He asked, before he could stop himself. _Really? Did I just ask that?_

"Nope. Never been dumb enough." She said as she looked over at him, a smirk still on her face. She was a little surprised, herself, that he had turned her question around.

He looked at her face before turning forward again, his cheeks reddened a little at the path this conversation had taken. They stopped at Merle's bike so Daryl could grab his sleeping bag.

Kat smiled again seeing that she was making him uncomfortable. It didn't take much, she was finding out. "Well, at least you're clean." She looked at the side of his face then made her way down his arms and clothes. He was covered in dirt from head to toe. "In a sense." She let out a laugh. Daryl looked down at himself as he saw her doing the same. Seeing the mess he was, he smiled.

Kat waved up at Dale on the RV as she and Daryl made it to the door and walked into the cramped space. Carol was laying on one of the small couches in the far back, crying, and Andrea was sitting at the small table looking out the window.

Daryl stood at the counter in the small kitchenette next to the door while Kat walked to the closet and grabbed the bag of weapons. She was going to fill the clips Rick had asked her to do that morning. She turned around and walked back, sitting in the seat across from Andrea as she put the bag on the table. The older blond woman turned to look at her, giving her a small sad smile.

"Wanna help?" Kat asked, quietly, tilting her head to the clips she laid out on the table while she grabbed a couple boxes of ammunition.

"I don't know how." Andrea said, letting a small laugh out.

Kat smiled. "I'll teach you." She said as she grabbed one of the clips and started showing Andrea how to load bullets into the magazine.

Daryl walked to the table and set his crossbow on the seat next to Kat, propping it up against the wall, blocking her in. He walked in front of the bathroom and laid his sleeping bag out on the ground next to it. He was blocking the path to the back of the RV as he laid in the small walkway between the small kitchen area and the front of the Winnebago. He laid on his back and had his his hands linked together under his head. He bent one of his knees up and swayed his leg back and forth as he closed his eyes.

* * *

Daryl wasn't sure how long he was laying there, but between the sounds of metal clinking as the bullets were being loaded into the magazines and Carol's constant crying, he wasn't going to go to sleep any time soon, no matter how tired he was. He used his hands to hold his head up as he looked ahead of him, seeing Carol's body shaking from her sobs. Daryl looked at her, rolling his eyes and sighing before laying back down. _Cryin ain't gonna do nothin._ He tilted his head so he could look behind him while still lying down. He saw Andrea facing him from her seat at the table, still loading bullets but couldn't see Kat, she was blocked by the wall. Daryl looked back up at the ceiling of the RV.

Kat sighed. She felt for Carol, but she'd taken as much crying as she could. Knowing what the woman was thinking; her daughter out there, not knowing if she was safe from the horrors walking around- it made her think of her brother. She needed to get out. "You good?" She quietly asked Andrea as she pointed to the last couple magazines. Daryl tilted his head back towards them at Kat's voice. Andrea nodded as Kat grabbed Daryl's crossbow, picking it up so she could scoot out from behind the table. "I'm gonna..." She gestured towards the RV's door with her thumb as she got up from the seat. She turned around, putting the Horton back down, leaning it against the wall and walked to the door.

At the RV's door closing, Daryl looked at the ceiling again. He groaned as he sat up, looking towards Carol before turning his eyes to the ground. He turned around, getting to his knees while he grabbed his pistol he had laying on the ground next to him. He grabbed onto the door frame of the tiny bathroom to help himself up as he got to his feet. He walked to the table Andrea was still at and set his handgun down on the table while he grabbed his crossbow. He glanced back at Carol as he swung the Horton around his back, resting the strap against his chest. "I'ma need my clip now." He said as he looked at the table. Andrea put the last bullet the magazine in her hand needed and handed it to him.

He took it from her and loaded it into his gun. "I'ma walk the road..look for the girl." He told her.

Carol stopped crying at his words and looked back towards the front of the RV at him. He gave her a nod, tucking the handgun into the back of his pants and turned to the door, walking outside. Andrea looked ahead of her towards Carol.

Dale pointed down the highway as soon as he saw Daryl walk outside.

Daryl whistled loudly as soon as he saw her. She was walking through the cars again, like they had been doing before they went into the RV. She turned around and headed back towards him when she saw he had a flashlight and his crossbow on his back. He kept walking until he heard someone coming down the RV's steps. He stopped and turned around.

"I'm coming, too." Andrea said as she got to the ground. She had another flashlight in her hands as she closed the RV's door.

Daryl looked on top of the RV at Dale, who was wondering what was going on. "I'm gonna go for a walk. Shine some light in the forest. If she's out there, it'll give her somethin to look at." Daryl said as he started walking towards Kat again.

"Do you think that's a good idea right now?" Dale said, looking down at them as Kat met up with Daryl.

"Dale." Andrea rolled her eyes as she walked past Daryl and Kat. They looked up at Dale one more time before they turned and followed Andrea to the part of the guard rail they had been using to go back and forth into the forest.

Dale stood up from his seat in the camp chair they had on top of the RV with a sigh as he watched the trio walk away.

* * *

**The High School**

The high school had been overrun, just like it had the last time Otis had seen it. Shane and Otis had gotten what they needed but not before being chased into a gymnasium when they were blocked from all sides by Walkers. The two men had made their way to the top of the folded up bleachers and were pressed against the wall as the Walkers tried to grab at their feet, though they were a few feet out of their grasp.

Shane shined his flashlight around the darkened room. "Those windows, what's on the other side?"

Otis looked to where he was shining his light. "About a 20-foot drop, nothin to catch you, maybe some bushes- then the athletic field."

Shane looked down at the big group of Walkers at their feet, still trying to grab at them. "We just need enough time. We gotta get up there. We gotta get em open and get out."

"Not me. Maybe you."

"Hey, hey, hey."

"Come on, man, look at me. You really think I can squeeze through one of them tiny windows? They'd be all over us." Otis said. He looked back down at the Walkers. "We lay down some fire to get a head start. You stay here. I hop down and draw them away. That gives you the chance to get up the bleachers and out a window." Otis said as he pointed back to the windows on the second level on the other side of the large room.

"And where do you go?" Shane asked.

Otis grabbed the flashlight from him and shone the light on the other side of the gymnasium. "Locker room, down those steps." He said, turning back to Shane and handing him the flashlight.

"Looks like a good way to get trapped."

"It's got windows too, and more my size." Otis said as Shane turned the light off. "I get out through one, I double back, we meet up out on the field." He said as he handed the bag of equipment he had to Shane.

"You're a crazy son of a bitch, ain't ya?" Shane asked as he slung the bag over his other shoulder.

"Just tryin to do right for that boy." Otis said as he raised his rifle.

Shane nodded. "You take three shots and you go. After that I fire. I'll lay down a cover for you. I'll get you a lead."

"All right." Otis breathed as Shane grabbed his Mossberg and tilted his head at Otis.

Otis aimed his rifle at one of the Walkers in front of them, there were plenty to choose from. He pulled the trigger, sending one to the ground before doing the same thing two more times. They took a few steps towards the end of the folded bleachers they were on top of as Shane brought the Mossberg to his shoulder.

Otis made the 10 foot drop to the ground, landing on his feet. But the weight of his body put too much strain on his ankles as he fell to his knees. He started screaming as a legless Walker that was on the ground grabbed a hold of his ankle. He tried scooting away but the thing had a good grip on his foot and was simply being dragged along. Shane aimed carefully with his shotgun, trying not to hit Otis as he pulled the trigger. As soon as it's head exploded, the Walker's grip loosened on Otis's ankle. The other Walkers in the room were now interested in all of the commotion that was going on on the floor. They all started coming towards him as he got to his feet. Shane aimed the Mossberg again, dropping a few undead bodies closest to Otis as he made his way towards the locker room, the Walkers right behind him.

Once Otis had disappeared after the stairs to the locker room, Shane turned around and made his way to the other side of the wooden, folded up bleachers he was still on top of. He hopped down, landing on his feet more gracefully than Otis had, and ran up the stairs in front of him. A few Walkers at the back of the group who had gotten bored when Otis disappeared from sight, turned around, seeing Shane running up the stairs and headed for him. Shane got to the second level of the gymnasium and ran to the first window as the two Walkers started wobbling their way up the stairs. He threw one of the bags off his shoulder and under the window as he brought the stock of his shotgun against the glass, breaking it to pieces. He hit the remaining pieces, still stuck in the frame, several times before the window was mostly free of glass. He turned around seeing the Walkers now at the top of the stairs. He aimed at the one in front of him and pulled the trigger, hitting it in the chest. The force from the shotgun round sent it flying backwards and knocked it into the Walker behind it, sending that one flying over the railing and onto the gym floor below.

Shane picked up the bag he'd thrown down and leaned out the window, letting it fall to the ground below. Otis was right, it was a long way down. The bag landed on a few bushes that lined the building. He took the other bag from his shoulder and did the same, letting it fall on top of the first one. He held his Mossberg and dropped it out the window, not bothering to put the safety on before he let it fall to the ground below. He wasn't worried about it miss firing. He sent his last loaded round into the Walker behind him.

He sat on the window sill as he swung one leg through the opening. He sat there for a second, finally realizing how far below the ground was. He let out some quick, deep breaths as he brought his other leg through the window. He turned around, holding onto the bottom of the window, and let himself dangle on the side of the building. He was trying to get himself as close to the ground as he could before he let go. He looked back down at the ground below him, about to let his hold on the window sill go as the Walker he'd shot in the chest leaned through the window and grabbed at his shirt. Shane let go with one hand as he grabbed the Walker's shirt. He brought his hand back, forming a first and punched the Walker in the face a couple times. It was completely unfazed as it pulled at his shirt, chomping it's jaws at his face. Shane reached to his hip where his sidearm was as he grabbed his gun from it's holster. He aimed at the Walker's head and pulled the trigger at the same time he let go of the window with his other hand. He fell to the ground, landing on his ankle the wrong way. He heard a snap and prayed it wasn't broken as he grabbed for his foot. He groaned out in pain as he looked around him quickly, making sure there were no Walkers in the immediate area. He heard a few gunshots, then. _He made it._ Shane thought as he got to his feet. There weren't any broken bones, but he was pretty sure he tore two of the tendons in his ankle.

He grabbed the bags and swung them over his shoulders as he picked up his shotgun.

* * *

**The Farm**

Glenn pulled Carol's Cherokee up the driveway to the Greene's house. He and T-Dog were taken aback, seeing that they still had power. The place must have ran on a gas powered generator. They looked at the house in front of them, what looked like the entire first floor had the lights on, as Glenn put the car in park. He and T-Dog got out of the car and walked towards the house. Glenn swung his bag over his shoulder and held a shotgun in his hands. As they got to the brick steps leading up to the porch, Glenn looked at the stairs. There were still drops of blood leading to the door.

"So do we ring the bell? I mean, it looks like people live here." Glenn said, looking to T-Dog before looking back at the windows, seeing the light shine through.

"We're past this kinda stuff, aren't we? Havin to be considerate." T-Dog said as they walked up the stairs. He was feeling a lot better, but still had the blanket draped over his shoulders. They got to the door as soon as someone interrupted them.

"Did you close the gate up the road when ya drove in?" Maggie asked. She was sitting on the porch in a chair off to the side of the entry way, in the shadow of the wall, making them miss her as they came closer to the house. She had her feet up on the seat with her knees pulled to her chest as she rested her arms on top of them.

"Uh, hi." Glenn said, looking in the general direction of her voice. "Yes, we closed it. Did the latch and everything."

She let her feet back down to the floor as she sat forward in the chair, leaning into the light coming from the window. She rested her arms against her legs as she looked at them.

"Hello. Nice to see you again." Glenn said once he recognized it was the same girl that had come to get Lori. "We, um, met before briefly." Glenn shook his head slightly, almost a little nervous.

"Look, we came to help. There anythin we can do?" Said a tired T-Dog as Maggie got up. He groaned, as he felt his arm throb again. Maggie opened her mouth to say something but stopped when she looked down at the bloody bandage he had taped to his arm. "It's not a bite. I, uh, I cut myself pretty bad though."

"We'll have it looked at. I'll tell them you're here." Maggie said as she walked over to them.

"We have, uh, some painkillers and antibiotics." Glenn said as he reached into the bag he had and pulled out the antibiotics Daryl had given them earlier that evening. "I already gave him some. If Carl needs any."

"Come on inside. I'll make you somethin to eat." Maggie said as she opened the screen door, she held it for them as they made their way inside.

Back in the bedroom Carl was in, Lori, Rick, Patricia and Hershel sat around the room. Hershel was taking the boy's blood pressure again as Maggie showed Glenn and T-Dog to the room. Glenn looked between Maggie and T-Dog when he laid eyes on the unconscious boy. They didn't know how bad the situation was until then.

Glenn took off his baseball hat. "Hey." He said, causing Rick and Lori to look at them.

"Hey." Rick said back to him before holding his head in his hand again and looking back to his son.

"Um, we're here, okay?" Glenn said as Hershel stood up and took the two new arrivals in.

"Thank you." Lori nodded to them from her spot in the chair next to Rick.

"Whatever you need." T-Dog added. Rick and Lori both nodded as Rick covered his eyes.

Glenn and T turned around and walked out of the room with Maggie behind them as she pointed them to the dining room. Rick looked back at his son as they walked out.

Hershel grabbed the blanket that was lying over Carl from his chest and down. He pulled it back, revealing the boy's swollen stomach, almost twice it's normal size. Lori grabbed onto Rick's shoulder as he put his hand over hers.

"They don't get back soon, we're gonna have a decision to make." Hershel said as he looked at Carl's parents.

"And that is?" Rick asked.

"Whether to operate on your boy without the respirator."

"You said that wouldn't work." Lori said.

"I know. It's extremely unlikely. But we can't wait much longer." Hershel said as he glanced down at Carl's stomach before looking back to Rick.

Lori let go of Rick's shoulder and got up from her chair, leaving the room. Hershel put the blanket back over Carl's stomach as Rick slowly got up from his chair and followed her, still light headed from the blood he'd given all day.

* * *

**The Forest**

Kat, Daryl and Andrea had made their way into the forest and were walking in that order, on a path they hadn't gone yet.

"You really think we're gonna find Sophia?" Andrea asked from the other side of Daryl. She kept her eyes on the ground.

Daryl shined his flashlight from the path in front of them to the side of her face for a second. He scoffed a little before returning the flashlight to it's previous position. "You got that look on your face same as everybody else..What the hell's wrong with you people? We just started lookin."

"Well, do you?" Andrea looked at him.

"It ain't the mountains of Tibet. It's Georgia." He said as he looked over at her. "She could be holed up in a farmhouse somewhere. People get lost and they survive. Happens all the time."

"She's only 12." Andrea said in a condescending tone.

"Hell, I was younger than her an I got lost." Daryl said. Kat looked at him then. She couldn't imagine him being lost in the woods, but this was a man standing next to her now, not a child. "Nine days in the woods eatin berries, wipin my ass with poison oak."

"They found you?" Andrea asked as the tree continued walking, shining their lights around.

"My old man was off on a bender with some waitress. Merle was doin another stint in juvie. Didn't even know I was gone." Daryl said. Kat looked at him out of the corner of her eye at this new information. Younger than 12? How could a man leave his child home alone for nine days and not even know he's gone? "I made my way back though. Went straight into the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. No worse for wear. 'Cept my ass itched somethin awful."

Andrea let out a laugh as Kat tried to hold her's in, but couldn't help the smile on her face. Daryl looked at Andrea, where the noise had come from.

She laughed again. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, that is a terrible story."

Daryl looked over at Kat who pressed her lips together but burst out laughing as soon as he looked at her. He looked down and laughed a little, himself, with the two women. He stopped as he looked back up again. "Only difference is Sophia's got people lookin for her. I call that an advantage."

"Well, I hope you know the difference between poison oak and bigleaf aster **now**." Kat said very nonchalantly, once she could keep a smile off her face.

Daryl looked at her but she kept her face straight ahead, though he saw the corner of her mouth try to pull up into a smile. "Smart ass." He smirked as he shook his head.

* * *

**The Farm**

Lori was standing out on the front porch as Rick made his way outside. She stared out into the darkness, listening to the frogs while she let the thoughts in her mind run wild. She hugged herself as she heard Rick's footsteps come up beside her.

"Maybe this isn't a world for children anymore." Lori said.

"Yeah, well, we have a child." He said as he looked around. "Carl is here in this world now. So-" Rick started as Lori cut him off.

"Maybe he shouldn't be." She said as she turned her head towards him but didn't look at him. "Maybe this is how it's supposed to be."

Rick looked away for a second before looking back at her face. "You can't mean that."

Lori looked at him, not saying anything. Rick nodded after a few seconds. "Okay. All right. I can understand that thought crossin your mind."

"It didn't cross my mind, Rick. I can't stop thinkin it." She said as she faced him fully. "Why do we want Carl to live in this world? To have this life? So he can see more people torn apart in front of him? So that he can be hungry and scared for however long he has before he..." Lori looked out into the night again, trying to hold back a sob. "So he can run and run and run and run and-and then even if he survives, he ends up...he ends up just another animal who doesn't know anything except survival? If he..If he dies tonight, it ends for him." Lori brought her hand up to her mouth as Rick turned away. "Tell me why it would be better another way. I-"

Rick turned back around after a couple seconds. "What changed?"

"What?"

"Jenner offered us a way out. You asked him to let us keep trying. You-you begged him. 'For as long as we can' you said. What changed?"

"There was a moment the other day-" Lori said as she raised her hand in the air while she talked. "It was just a second, but I forgot Jacqui was dead. I-I turned around, I wanted to tell her somethin. I almost said her name and it was just a second and then- and then I remembered. But then I realized she didn't have to see any of it...The-the-the highway, the-the herds, Sophia, Carl getting shot- sh-she didn't-" Lori brought her fingers to her lips then gestured in the air with her hands, trying to find the words. "She doesn't have to be afraid anymore..Or hungry. Angry. It hasn't stopped happening, Rick. It's like we live with a knife at our throats every second of every day. But-but Jacqui doesn't. Not anymore. And then...I thought, 'Maybe Jenner was right.'" Rick turned away again, frustrated. She was really talking about just giving up. Letting their only child, just die.

"I don't accept that." He said, shaking his head. "I can't accept that. That man surrendered. It doesn't matt- it doesn't matter what he said. None of it." Rick said. A big part of him was the father just wanting his son to live. A small part, was that he didn't want to know if what Jenner had told him was true. Either way, he couldn't let his son just slip away without a fight. "You really think it would be better if Carl-" He turned and looked at Lori's face. She was covering her mouth with her fingers again as she looked at him with a pained expression. She looked away. "If we just gave up?" He asked.

"Tell me why, it would be better, the other way." She said slowly to him. "Please." She stared at him as he looked back at her. He opened his mouth to say something but couldn't find the words. Lori nodded her head as if she had proven the point she was trying to make. There was nothing in this life for anyone anymore.

* * *

**The High School**

"Man, I thought I'd lost you." Shane said as Otis walked to him, taking one of the bags from him and swinging it over his shoulder. Shane had been backed up against a chain link fence, Walkers pushing towards him from behind it, and Walkers coming at him from in front when Otis showed up and helped him off the three that had been about to take him down. Otis shot one in the head as Shane used his last two shots from his shotgun he had loaded to take out the others.

"That was my last rifle round." Otis said as he and Shane both started limping away.

"Mine too."

"Come on. Come on. Come on." Otis urged him as they both walked out onto the athletic field so they could make their way back to the truck.

* * *

**The Farm**

Lori and Rick were both sitting on the floor outside of the bedroom Carl was in. Not looking at each other and not talking. Rick sat, leaning against one corner of the wall, while Lori was on the other. Catty-corner to each other. They sat there in silence, each having their own thoughts running through their heads, but both shot up instantly at the sound of coughing from the bedroom. Lori burst in through the cracked door and knelt down next to the bed as Carl woke up. Hershel, who was still in the room stood up from his seat next to the boy's bed.

Lori and Rick both looked relieved as the boy took quick breaths, looking around the room. "Where are we?" He asked as he looked around the room, his parents and Hershel.

"Hey, little man." Rick said at he patted his son's leg. He followed his son's panicked eyes to the smiling old man standing over him. "That's Hershel. We're in his house. You had an accident. All right?"

Carl coughed again as Lori ran her hand over his head. "It hurts, a lot." He said as he looked down at his stomach.

"Oh, baby, I know. I know." Lori said, her and Rick both getting upset at the thought of their child in pain.

"You shoulda seen it." Carl said as he looked at his mom.

"What?" She asked as she looked back at his face.

"The deer. It-it was so pretty, Mom. It was so close. I've never..been..." Carl let out a shaky breath as his eyes went out of focus. He stared at the ceiling but wasn't seeing anythin.

"Carl?" Rick said. He patted his son's leg but the boy didn't move.

"What's happening?" Lori asked as she stared at her son's face.

Carl started grunting as his little body started to convulse and shake the bed. Lori and Rick both went to grab him when Hershel stopped them.

"Don't. It's a seizure." Hershel said as he turned the boy on his side and moved the pillows out of the way as he continued to shake. "If you hold him down, you could hurt him."

"You can't stop it?" Lori looked at Hershel, horrified.

"He has to just go through it."

Lori stood up and grabbed onto Rick as he wrapped his arms around her. She started sobbing as she watched her son's body seize and shake with a mind of it's own. After a few tense seconds he finally stopped moving as he limply fell onto his back again. Hershel grabbed his wrist to take his pulse as Lori knelt back down beside him. Hershel opened the boy's closed eyes to look at his pupils.

"His brain isn't getting enough blood." He said as Lori looked up at him. "His pressure is bottomin. He needs another transfusion."

"Okay, I'm ready." Rick said.

"If I take any more out of you, your body could shut down. You could go into a coma. Or cardiac arrest."

"You're wastin time." Rick said as he held out his arm to the man.

Hershel turned around and grabbed the transfusion kit as Rick sat down in the chair next to the bed.

"Baby." Lori said, as she stood behind Rick, putting her arm on his shoulders. Rick's eyes filled with tears as he looked at his son.

* * *

**The Highway**

Dale was standing on top of the RV, his rifle slung over his shoulder by it's strap as he looked out over the cars and into the trees ahead of him. He pulled the pack of cigarettes T-Dog had found earlier out of his pocket. He brought the pack to his nose and breathed in the sweet smell of the tobacco. He hadn't had a cigarette in years. He dropped the pack on the roof of the RV as he heard a clinking noise behind him. He turned around only to see Carol making her way up the ladder to the RV's roof. He bent over to retrieve the pack of smokes he'd dropped and returned them to the front pocket of his shirt.

"Cant sleep?" He asked as he took a few steps towards her once she climbed up. He looked back out onto the highway.

She shook her head as she walked closer to him. "I'm gonna wait for em to come back...You can go down and sleep if you want to."

"No," He said as he looked at her, "we can keep watch together."

She nodded as they looked out beyond the cars to the trees. He walked back over towards his chair with her following him.

"Which way did they go?" Carol asked. Dale held his arm out and pointed his finger in the direction where Kat, Daryl and Andrea had disappeared into the woods.

* * *

**The Forest**

The three of them were continuing along the path they had been walking when they heard something more than the light shuffling their feet had been making. Daryl and Kat were first to react as they both quickly turned towards the sound of the rustling leaves and branches creaking. Daryl held his crossbow to his shoulder, holding his flashlight under it, aiming into the dark. Kat held her serrated Ulak out in front of her as she shined her light all around the trees she was facing. Andrea stood behind the two looking out into the forest. No one made a sound as they waited for something to come out of the trees.

Kat nodded at Daryl when he looked at her. He in turn looked behind him at Andrea as they started to make their way towards the sound. Andrea, hanging back a couple feet from the two in front of her.

They made their way further into the forest and came upon a small clearing soon enough. There was a small campsite with a tent once they got to the area the noise had been coming from. They shined their flashlights around the tent to make sure nothing was going to pop out at them before they looked to the source of the noise.

Kat brought her eyebrows together with her mouth slightly agape as she looked into the tree at the sight before them.

"What the hell?" Daryl said as he lowered his crossbow a little.

There was a Walker up in the tree. A man who had hung himself. _That's new._ Kat thought as she stared at it. Not for Daryl. He'd seen a Walker strung up the same way in a church he had come across on his and Merle's way to Atlanta.

This one was dangling from a rope around his neck as he hung from one of the branches. Growling and moaning, he reached his hands out for them. Daryl walked closer to the trunk of the tree, seeing a note stuck to it with a knife. Andrea just looked up at the Walker as it helplessly flailed around while Daryl got closer.

"Got bit. Fever hit. World gone to shit. Might as well quit." Daryl read from the note. "Dumb ass didn't know enough to shoot himself in the head. Turned himself into a big swingin piece of bait. And a mess."

Andrea groaned and looked at the ground away from the Walker as she brought the back of her hand up to her mouth.

"Ya all right?" Daryl asked as he looked back at her.

She put her hands on her knees as she bent over. "Trying not to puke."

He looked back to the Walker. "Go ahead if you gotta."

"No, I'm fine. Let's just talk about something else for a moment. How'd you learn to shoot?"

"Gotta eat. That's one thing these Walkers and us have in common. I guess it's the closest he's been to food since he turned..Look at him, hanging up there like a big piñata." Daryl said. Kat looked between the two of them with a smirk. He was just instigating now.

Daryl turned to his side so he could point out something else to Andrea. He held his arm out with the flashlight and pointed to the Walker's legs, that were mostly just bones. What little muscle was left was bloody and rotten. "The other geeks came and ate all the flesh off his legs."

That did it. Andrea coughed, vomiting anything she had in her stomach, up. Daryl turned around and looked at her. "I thought we were changing the subject." She said as she stood back up, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Call that payback for laughin about my itchy ass." Daryl said with a smile as he looked back at the Walker.

Andrea smiled a little as she wiped her hand on her pants. "There wasn't a lot that came up."

Daryl looked at the Walker in the tree another second before he turned around. "Huh. Let's head back." He said as he walked to the tent to see if there was anything useful inside.

"Aren't you gonna..." Andrea shone her flashlight to the Walker as Daryl walked between her and Kat and towards the tent's door.

He turned around, looking at her before shining his light on the Walker. "No. He ain't hurtin nobody. Ain't gonna waste an arrow either. He made his choice. Opted out. Let him hang." Daryl turned back around and took a few more steps towards the tent, but stopped and turned around when he heard Andrea walking away. She walked closer to the swaying body, making it more agitated the closer she got.

Daryl walked a few steps towards her. "You wanna live now..or not?" She turned around and looked at him then to Kat. "It's just a question." He said.

She looked back into the tree for a second before facing him. "An answer for an arrow. Fair?" She said, tears forming in her eyes.

"Mm-hmm." Daryl nodded.

"I don't know if I wanna live...or if I have to or..if it's just a habit."

"That's not much of an answer." Daryl said as he brought his Horton to his shoulder, lining up the Walker's head in his sights. He pulled the trigger and sent the bolt right into the middle of it's forehead. "Waste of an arrow." He said as he turned around and walked over to Kat. They started walking away as Andrea turned around to follow them._  
_

* * *

**The Highway**

Dale was standing on top of the RV while Carol sat in his chair. They both looked out over the cars and trees. Dale was obviously worried about them being out there in the dark. More specifically, Andrea.

"You don't need to worry. She's with Daryl. If somethin happens, he can protect her. You hear what I'm sayin?" Carol said as she looked up at him.

He looked down at her before turning back to the woods. "Sorry, all I heard was if something happens."

They were both quiet for a moment, until Dale took his rifle off his shoulder. "You mind keepin watch?" He said as he held the rifle out to her.

"I don't know how to use that." She said as she looked from the rifle to him.

"I won't be gone long. If you see anything, call out. I'm not goin far. I'll hear ya." He said as he held the rifle in his hands and started walking to the ladder. Carol stood up and looked out onto the highway.

* * *

**The Farm**

"You got here right in time. This couldn't go untreated much longer." Patricia said as she sat at the dining room table with T-Dog and Maggie while she stitched the cut on T-Dog's arm. Glenn stood in the doorway as Maggie held T-Dog's arm to the table. Patricia glanced up at the pill bottle on the table after she pulled another stitch through T's arm. She looked at the label. "'Merle Dixon.' Is that your friend with the antibiotics?"

"No, ma'am. Merle's no longer with us." Glenn said from the doorway as he held a cup of coffee in his hands. "Daryl gave us those- his brother."

"Not sure I'd call him a friend." T-Dog groaned as Patricia pulled another stitch through.

"He is today. This doxycycline mighta just saved your life. You know what Merle was taking it for?" Patricia looked at Glenn briefly before going back to her task.

"Clap." Glenn said. Maggie looked at him. "Um..venereal disease. That's what Daryl said."

"I'd say Merle Dixon's clap was the best thing that ever happen to you." Patricia looked at T-Dog.

"I'm really trying not to think about that." He said as he groaned again.

Glenn took his cup and walked past them towards the front of the house as Maggie watched. He needed some air.

* * *

Glenn pulled the chair Maggie had been sitting on earlier further out onto the porch as he leaned his arms on his knees. He stared down at the cup in his hands before looking out over the darkened fields ahead of him. _This week just keeps getting worse and worse._

Maggie opened the screen door as quietly as she could, letting it rest against the door frame instead of closing it as she walked outside.

Glenn put the cup in his hands down by the chair as he leaned forward again. He linked his hands together and closed his eyes.

Maggie walked a few feet closer and leaned against one of the white wooden beams that held up the ceiling of the porch while she looked at him. "Are you prayin?"

Glenn opened his eyes and looked over at her. He was so lost in his own head he hadn't heard her approach him. He ran his hand over his head. "Why do you sneak up on people so much?"

"You're easy to sneak up on." Maggie smiled as she walked closer and took a seat on the wooden railing, leaning her back up against the beam she'd been leaning against a few seconds ago. She brought her legs up and rested her feet on the railing.

"I was praying." Glenn said as she got comfortable. "I was trying to."

"You religious? You pray a lot?" Maggie asked as she played with the frayed fabric from the hole in her jeans.

"Actually, uh, this was my first try." Glenn squinted at her with a sad smile.

"Ever?" Maggie looked at him as he nodded his head. She smiled. "Wow. Sorry. I didn't mean to wreck your first time."

"God probably got the gist."

Maggie went back to her jeans. "Prayin for what?"

"My friends. Looks like they could all use a little help right now." Glenn said as he looked down. He took a deep breath. "You think- you think God exists?"

Maggie looked at him as she leaned her head back against the wooden beam. "I always took it on faith." She looked out at the yard. "Lately I've wondered. Everything that's happened, there must've been a lot of prayin goin on. And, it seems quite a few went unanswered." She looked back at him but he wasn't looking at her.

He nodded his head. "Thanks. This is really helping."

Maggie smiled again. "Sorry. Go ahead. Really."

Glenn closed his eyes again for a second before he turned and looked at her. "You gonna watch?"

Maggie swung her legs from the railing and stood up, walking over to him. As she got closer he sat up in his chair. She bent over to pick up the cup at his feet. "I'll get you a refill instead." She turned and walked away as Glenn leaned forward, elbows on his knees again. Maggie turned around. "I know it's not my business, and feel free to believe in God, but the thing is you've gotta make it okay somehow no matter what happens."

Glenn looked at her, not saying anything while she turned around and walked to the door. She looked at him once more before disappearing into the house.

* * *

"Before it happened, we were standin there in the woods, and this..deer just crossed right in front of us." Rick said. He was sitting in the chair next to Carl's bed while Lori sat on the floor in front of him. Resting her arm and chin on his knee. Rick was holding onto her arm with his free hand, the tubes for the blood transfusion leaving his other unusable. "I swear, it just planted itself there, and looked Carl right in the eye. And I looked at Carl lookin at that deer, and that deer lookin right back at Carl. And that moment just..." Rick sighed as Lori looked at him as he replayed what happened in his head, "slipped away. It slipped away." He said as he tried not to let the tears in his eyes fall. "That's what he was talkin about when he woke up...not about gettin shot or what happened at the church. He talked about something beautiful, something living. There's still a life for us, a place maybe like this." He said as Lori started to cry. "It isn't all death out there. It can't be. We just have to be strong enough after everything we've seen to still believe that." He patted Lori's arm. "Why is it better for Carl to live even in this world? He talked about the deer, Lori. He talked about the deer." She laid her head back down on his knee.

* * *

**The High School**

"Oh, shit." Shane said as he tripped and fell, bringing Otis down with him as the man was holding onto his shoulder. Otis groaned.

"Gotta get to the street, double back to the truck." Otis said. His rifle empty, he had gotten Rick's magnum out and was now holding it in his hands.

"Look, we ain't gonna make it, okay?" Shane said, frustrated, lying on his stomach on the ground.

"Gotta try, man." Otis said as he started getting up. "Come on, get up." Otis had hurt his ankles too, but not as bad as Shane had.

"You're gonna take these bags and you're gonna go." Shane said as he looked up at the man as he started taking the bag off his shoulder.

"I ain't leavin you behind."

Shane took a few breaths and slammed his fist into the concrete ground. He pushed himself up. "Okay." They both got to their knees as they looked behind them. The Walkers that busted through a fence they had been running, or hobbling, away from, were getting closer to them now. "How many rounds you got left?" Shane asked as he ejected the magazine from his handgun to count the bullets. Otis popped out the cylinder of Rick's gun to do the same.

"Four. You?" Otis said as he snapped the cylinder back in it's place.

"Five and one in the pipe." Shane said as he shoved the magazine back into his gun. He looked back at the Walkers, their snarling and growling coming closer.

The men helped each other off the ground as they stood up. They still had a long way to go to get to the truck. And the small herd that was following them wasn't letting up. They were a little faster than the two injured men.

Otis turned as they limped away and took a shot at one of the Walkers advancing on them. Shane did the same, the Walkers dropping to the ground, causing a few behind them to stumble over the fallen bodies as the men tried to get away.

* * *

**The Farm**

Hershel had his hand on Carl's wrist and was watching his pocket watch as he checked the boy's pulse. He looked over at Rick and Lori. "He's still losin blood faster than we can replace it. And with the swellin in his abdomen we can't wait any longer or he's just going to slip away." Lori walked a few feet from Rick's side, further into the room. Rick stood up from his chair. "Now I need to know right now if you want me to do this, because I think your boy is outta time."

Rick stood next to Lori as they both looked down at Carl.

"You have to make a choice." Hershel said to them. His voice dripping with urgency.

"A choice?" Lori looked at him.

"A choice." Rick turned to her. He brought his hand up, moving it as he talked. "You have to tell me what it is. You have to tell me what it is." He said quietly to her.

She looked at him for a second before she brought her hand to his cheek. "We do it."

Rick pulled her into him as they hugged. Lori watched Carl over his shoulder as he rocked her back and forth.

* * *

Patricia and Hershel were wheeling a metal table into the room they were going to use to put the boy on. They positioned it at the edge of the bed.

"Okay, get that corner of the bed. Let's get the sheets down, everybody." Hershel said as he made his way to his side. "Get the IV bag on the sheet." He pointed to the bag as Rick grabbed it and put it next to Carl. He grabbed the pillow from under the boy's head and gently removed it, throwing it on the ground. "Okay, on three." Hershel said as he, Patricia, Lori and Rick each grabbed a corner of the sheet Carl was laying on. "One, two, three." They all lifted at the same time, bringing the boy off the bed as they moved to the metal table.

Patricia grabbed a tray with Hershel's surgical tools and put it on the table next to Carl's legs as Lori and Rick stepped back. Hershel started putting his gloves on while Patricia went to the corner of the room and grabbed the floor lamp. She took the shade off the top and pulled the thin chains, turning the light bulbs on. Hershel picked up his scalpel as Patricia dipped several rags into warm water.

"Rick, Lori, you may want to step out." Hershel said as he looked to the parents.

Just then, they could hear a vehicle's engine approaching and tires on the driveway outside. Hershel looked towards the window as Rick made his way over to it. He pulled the curtains back and glanced outside, seeing the blue truck Shane and Otis had left in that evening, pull up.

"Oh, God." Rick breathed. He and Lori started for the front door.

"You stay here with him." Hershel said to Patricia as he took his gloves off and followed them.

Shane pulled the truck up to the house, put it in park and turned off the engine as he got out of the truck. He reached back in to grab for the bags as Rick, Lori and Hershel walked outside. Glenn, T-Dog and Maggie followed, seeing them rushing to the door and finally hearing the truck.

They all made their way down the steps towards Shane who had both bags of equipment over his shoulders. Only Shane.

"Carl?" He panted as he walked closer to them.

"There's still a chance." Rick said as he reached him.

Hershel quickly grabbed one bag from him as Glenn grabbed the other. The missing man was only a second thought. He turned back around, looking behind Shane at the truck before back to his face. "Otis?"

Shane looked around. "No." He shook his head. "He.."

Everyone was silent for a moment. Tears forming in Maggie's eyes. Otis had been like an uncle to her.

Hershel turned to look at the house before back to the others. "We say nothing to Patricia. Not till after. I need her." Hershel quickly walked back up the steps to the house with Glenn as they both carried the bags.

Rick walked up to Shane, bringing the man to him for a hug. He pulled away and looked at him after a couple seconds.

"Th-They kept blockin us, man, just every turn. We had nothing left. We was down to 10 rounds. Then he said- he said he'd cover me and that I-I should keep goin. So that's what I did. I just...I kept going. But I-" Shane was breathing heavy. He almost looked on the verge of tears. "I looked back and he- just- I tried." He said. Lori walked to Maggie, putting one hand on her shoulder and rubbed her back with the other.

Rick put his hand on Shane's shoulder. "He wanted to make it right."

Shane looked at him, wide-eyed, before shaking his head. He ran a hand over his mouth as he looked over Rick's shoulder at Maggie and Lori.

* * *

**The Highway**

Dale did as Daryl and Kat did earlier that night. He was walking through the cars, looking around, as he made his way over to the guard rail. He stopped and looked out into the trees, looking for the brightness of their flashlights in the dark, but seeing nothing. He turned back to the RV and started walking towards it.

* * *

Carol stood on the RV looking out on the highway with Dale sitting in his chair behind her. She saw the shining lights before she could make out the bodies. Daryl, Kat and Andrea were back.

"Oh." She sobbed as she only saw the three of them. Her little girl nowhere in sight. She turned around and headed for the ladder.

Dale stood up and watched her walk away before he turned back and looked at the three approaching figures with a smile, glad Andrea was okay. He slung his rifle over his shoulder and headed for the ladder. Carol ran to the RV's door and went inside, slamming the it behind her. She went back to the couch and laid down, crying quietly into her pillow. Dale came around from the back of the RV as they walked up.

Kat grabbed the door to the RV and walked inside over to the table. She sat down and put her arms on the table, laying her forehead on them. Daryl turned to Dale before he looked down, shutting the flashlight in his hands off before he reached up to grab the door handle and go inside. He let the door shut behind him. Kat turned her head to look at him as he walked in, her head still lying on her arms. She was exhausted from the long day they'd had. He set his crossbow down in the seat across from her as he turned down the small walkway. He made his way over to his sleeping bag that was still on the floor and laid back down. He saw Carol's shoulders shaking, but she was quiet about it this time. He put his hands under his head and closed his eyes.

"Andrea, wait." Dale said outside, before Andrea could walk in the RV.

"What do you want, Dale?"

"To give you this." He said as he reached behind him. He pulled out her hand gun from the back waistband of his pants. "I care about you so I made a choice for you- choices. I know why I did it, but this is not my gun. And the choices that I made for you were not mine to make." He held the gun out to her as she looked at him, listening to his apology.

She stepped forward and reached out, taking the gun from his hands.

"But I can still ask, and this is not to make you guilty or put me ahead of you, but I can still ask, please...don't make me regret this." He said as he motioned towards the gun in her hand.

Andrea looked down at the gun for a second before she looked back up. "I'll take watch." She said as she started to walk by him.

"So do ya-do you forgive me for-" Dale said, holding his arms out to his sides as he watched her walk past him. "Do you forgive me?"

She stopped walking at the back of the RV and turned around. "I'm trying." She looked at him for a second before she disappeared around the corner and started climbing up the ladder.

Kat reached under the table and grabbed her sleeping bag. She unsnapped the button that kept it rolled up and laid it on the floor behind Daryl. She got down on the ground and spread it out as he tilted his head up to look at her. A quick smile played on his lips before he faced the ceiling again and closed his eyes. She laid down in the walkway, the top of her head and Daryl's almost touching. Their bodies forming a line from the back of the RV to the front. She spread her legs out, her feet reaching the floor by the seat she'd just been sitting at as she got comfortable. She heard the door to the RV open and looked up to see Dale walk in. He nodded at her as he walked to the front seat and sat down.

* * *

**The Farm**

"I've known Otis since I was a kid." Maggie was sitting at the table in the kitchen, crying. "He's run this farm since before my mother died."

Glenn got up from his position, leaning against a counter top and walked closer to her. He stopped in front of the table and looked at the refrigerator. "Who else?" He asked. "Who'd you lose?" He said as he looked at the different pictures held to the refrigerator's front with magnets. Maggie looked up at him and to the pictures as she sniffled, her stuffy nose blocking the air she tried to get into her lungs. "You told me I had to make it okay somehow." He said to her. She looked down as she nodded her head between sobs. "That's what you've been trying to do, right? Which ones?" He tilted his head towards the fridge as he rested one of his hands on it.

Maggie got up from her seat and walked around the table. She stood next to him in front of the refrigerator as she pointed to a picture of a middle-aged woman. "Stepmother." She said as she laid her finger on the photo. She pointed to another. "Stepbrother." She let out a shaky breath.

* * *

The rest of the group was sitting outside, their makeshift waiting room, on the porch. Rick and Lori were holding each other on the steps while T-Dog was sitting down in the chair Glenn had been on earlier. Shane was sitting on the ground in front of the truck.

Glenn and Maggie looked up as they heard the door to Carl's room open. Hershel tilted his head to the front, asking them to follow him, and they did.

Hershel finished wiping his clean, wet hands off with the cloth he had as he opened the front door. Everyone outside got to their feet quickly as they turned around and looked at the man when he came outside onto the porch.

"He seems to have stabilized." Hershel said as he looked down at Rick and Lori. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, God." Rick said as he let out the breath he was holding as soon as he saw the man. Lori brought her hand up to her mouth as she smiled. Hershel returned it with one of his own as Rick walked up the few steps to the man. He grabbed him and hugged him as Hershel patted him on the back. Rick pulled away and stepped back down towards his wife, never taking his eyes off Hershel.

"I don't have words." Lori cried with a smile.

"I don't either. Wish I did." Hershel said as he looked down at the towel in his hands. He looked back up at them. "How do I tell Patricia about Otis?"

Shane looked at the ground as everyone got quiet. Rick looked at Lori. "You go to Carl..I'll go with Hershel." Rick said as she nodded. He looked back at the man, giving him a nod. Hershel turned around to open the door as he followed him inside. Maggie, Glenn and T-Dog followed in after him, Lori hanging back to shoot a look at Shane. She nodded her head once to him before she walked up the steps. He leaned off of the car and started limping towards the door.

Lori walked inside, not seeing where Glenn and the others had gone. She walked further into the house, stopping in the dining area as she looked across the room into the kitchen. Hershel and Rick were helping Patricia get to a chair as she started to sob uncontrollably. Lori brought her hand up to cover her mouth as she turned around. She glanced at Shane as he opened the front door and she turned to go to Carl's room.

Shane walked into the house, looking into the kitchen, seeing Hershel and Rick looking back at him. Patricia was crying as she leaned against the table, resting her head on her arms. He looked towards the bedroom and started slowly making his way there.

Lori was kneeling down next to Carl's bed, tears of joy coming down her face as she sobbed. He was still out from the anesthetic, but she could already see the color coming back to his pale cheeks. She ran her hand over his head as she leaned closer to him. She grabbed his hand with hers as Shane walked into the doorway. He looked at her briefly before looking at the boy. Lori brought her son's hand to her mouth and rested it there for a few seconds. Shane looked between the two before he turned his eyes to the ground. Lori kissed Carl's hand before she looked back at Shane. "Stay." She nodded her head as she smoothed Carl's hair with her other hand. She was thinking back to their conversation at the highway and church, when he said he was leaving the group.

He looked at her, nodding his head slightly before looking at the ground again. Lori looked at him and nodded, kissing Carl's hand as she looked back down at him and started playing with his hair. Shane took a breath as he looked at them before he walked out of the room. He wasn't sure where he was going but he needed a little time to himself for a few minutes. He kept walking, but stopped when Maggie came out of a room to his right.

"The bathroom's upstairs. I brought you some clothes." She said as she handed them to him.

"Thank you." He said as he took them from her.

"They won't fit well. They were Otis's." She gave him a sad smile as she turned around and walked away.

Shane looked around for a minute. _Ironic._ He thought as he made his way up the stairs.

* * *

He leaned into the shower to turn it on as he laid the clean clothes on the floor and stripped down, lying the dirty ones over the toilet. He put his pistol down on his pants and turned to look at his bare body. His ankle was still killing him and starting to swell. He had little cuts and scrapes all over his arms. He turned in the mirror to look at a cut on his shoulder when he noticed his head. There was a small patch of hair missing, little dabs of blood on the surface where the follicle was ripped out from the roots. Shane panicked, not wanting to be asked what happened. Everyone had been too busy worrying about Carl to pay him any attention before, but now...He quickly opened the medicine cabinet not seeing what he was looking for. He knelt down on the ground in front of the sink, opening drawers and cabinets. In the bottom drawer he finally hit pay dirt; A pair of electrical clippers. He plugged them into the outlet in the wall and turned it on as he replayed what happened in his head.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

_"How many rounds you got left?" Shane asked as he ejected the magazine from his handgun to count the bullets. Otis popped out the cylinder of Rick's gun to do the same._

_"Four. You?" Otis said as he snapped the cylinder back in it's place._

_"Five and one in the pipe." Shane said as he shoved the magazine back into his gun. He looked back at the Walkers, their snarling and growling coming closer._

_The men helped each other off the ground as they stood up. They still had a long way to go to get to the truck. And the small herd that was following them wasn't letting up. They were a little faster than the two injured men._

_Otis turned as they limped away and took a shot at one of the Walkers advancing on them. Shane did the same, the Walkers dropping to the ground, causing a few behind them to stumble over the fallen bodies as the men tried to get away._

_They continued firing shots as they made their way back towards the truck._

"_Down to my last." Otis said as they looked back at the Walkers._

"_Me, too." Shane said. There was no way they were going to make it out of here..Not without a distraction..._

_They walked a few more steps before Shane stopped, making Otis come to a halt next to him. Shane looked at the man. "I'm sorry." He said. Otis looked at him, confused. Shane raised his gun and pointed at Otis's leg, pulling the trigger._

_Otis screamed and reached for his leg as he fell to the ground. Shane tucked the gun into his pants as he bent over, trying to pull the bag from Otis's shoulder._

"_Will you give it- ah!" Shane yelled as he pulled on the bag. He fell onto his back as he tried to pull the bag from the man. "Give it!" He yelled, but Otis wouldn't let go. Shane kicked at the gunshot wound he had just given the man, making him scream. He kicked again and Otis loosened his hold, allowing Shane to pick up the bag._

_Otis turned over. "I'll kill you." He groaned and grabbed for Shane's head, a small fist of his hair now in his hand. Shane screamed as Otis pulled on him._

_Shane punched the man repeatedly as he tried to get him to let go, but he wouldn't loosen his hold. He still had Rick's gun in his hand and fired the last shot blindly, hitting nothing but the clouds overhead. __Shane groaned as he reached for Rick's gun, prying it from Otis's fingers. He bashed the man in the face with the metal of the gun several times. "Let go of me! Let go!" Shane yelled, pulling away as he felt Otis loosen his grip a little. Though, not enough, as he ripped the tuff of hair he had in his hand from Shane's scalp._

_Shane got to his feet with Rick's gun and the bags as he turned and limped away as fast as he could on his injured foot. The Walkers were mere feet from them now, but ignored Shane, seeing Otis down and bleeding on the ground. They piled on top of him in seconds, sinking their teeth into various places on his body and ripping the flesh from him. Shane turned around and faced the cars as Otis started screaming. He turned back for one last look as he hobbled away, seeing the Walkers eating the man alive._

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

Shane brought his head up to the blurry image of himself in the mirror as the last of his hair fell into the sink. He wiped the steam from the glass and looked at the man staring back at him.


	15. Chapter 14: Cherokee Rose

_It's been awhile since I posted a new chapter you guys, I'm sorry! I've been busy working and job hunting. I'm still a hair stylist/make up artist at my current place of employment, but I 'booth rent', which means I have to pay weekly to work there. And I only actually get paid for the work I do, no hourly wage. And it's been slow lately, so I'm trying to find a second job that will pay me hourly, that way I can at least get more income so I can afford to keep working there. Because my little side gig of painting doesn't bring in as much cash as I'd like. Just finished a Merle with a batman quote tho. Link to that one which leads to my current shop after this, since a few of you followers inquired about it a couple chapters ago. I don't have all my paintings listed yet since I have several that aren't done. Mostly a couple more Boondock pieces. I have a Rick one in the works as well, but I only have a rough outline of what I want to do. Link, get rid of the spaces, and yes, keep the question mark at the end._

**_etsy._**

**_com/listing/153105291/merle-dixon-michael-rooker-t he-w alking?_**

_Speaking of paintings, I cannot for the life of me finish the Daryl one I'm working on! -_- so I decided that maybe writing some more will give me a little inspiration. So enjoy this chapter._

**_xxjttxx_**_: This one features a little more 'Daryl and Kat togetherness', as will the following chapters when I can work them in :)_

**_Tammie_**_: Thank you & please do! I love subscribers and favorites. They make me happy :)_

**_Lindz_**_: Thanks, I agree. I set out to write this as if someone who had never watched the episodes could still feel like they have just because of reading the chapters I put out. I hope everyone else enjoys it as well._

* * *

**Cherokee Rose**

It was a quiet morning on the Greene's farm the next day. The group that was on the property were greeted by the songs of birds and bugs as they made their way outside with Hershel and his family.

They were a little ways from the house gathering large rocks so they could build a small memorial for Otis when the sound of a motorcycle's engine made them all stop and look towards the private road that led to the house. Glenn let out a sigh as he saw the vehicles that were approaching.

Daryl was in the lead on Merle's Triumph, followed closely by Kat's Avenger, the Hyundai Tucson Shane had been prepping to leave in and Dale's Winnebago. The group walked back towards the front of the house as they waited for the rest of their group to rejoin them.

* * *

Hershel sat on the edge of the bed Carl was laying on. "Fever's gone down." Hershel said as he felt the boy's cheeks and forehead. He brought his hand away as Carl started to stir. He grabbed onto the boy's wrist, giving it a gentle squeeze to reassure him.

At the movement from her son, Lori quickly got up and sat on the other side of the bed. "Baby?" She said as she looked down at him.

Rick stood up and leaned over him. "Carl?" He said as his son finally opened his eyes.

The boy looked between the two of his parents for a second. "Sophia? Is she okay?" He asked, quietly, as he looked at his father. Carl wasn't sure how long he'd been out, but was hoping in that time, they had found her.

Rick didn't answer for a few seconds as he looked down at his boy. He didn't want to upset him, not right now, in his fragile state. "Fine...She's fine." Rick said to him.

"Rest." Lori said as she looked at Carl with a small smile. "We'll be right here, okay?"

As if willed back to sleep by his mother's voice, Carl's eyelids felt too heavy to hold open. "'Kay." He softly said as they fell shut once again. Lori picked up his hand and held it in her's while she rubbed his arm.

Rick sat back down in his seat as they heard the front door open and footsteps coming towards the room. The bedroom door opened a second later.

"They're here." Lori heard T-Dog say before she turned to look at the door. Sure enough, at that second, they could hear the Triumph's loud engine getting closer outside. They all got up, leaving Carl there to sleep, and headed to the front door.

* * *

Daryl came to a stop in front of the house and leaned over to put the bike's kickstand down before he got off the Triumph. Kat and Andrea pulled up behind him as Dale angled the RV behind their cars. Everyone exited the vehicles and walked closer to the house as Hershel, Rick, T-Dog and Lori came down off the porch, reuniting with their group.

_No one's sobbing uncontrollably. That's a good sign._ Kat thought, looking at the parents as she walked closer, Sam all but glued to her side. Ever since the shock of Sophia going missing and Carl being shot, he didn't want to stray too far from her or Dylan for too long. They left Kaleb in the car while they went to see what was going on. That kid could sleep like a rock. She envied him a little.

As she got closer, she quickly took in the five faces gathered around that she didn't recognize. _The Greene's. _Her eyes didn't stay on them for long, as they quickly fell to Daryl's backside while he bent over to grab his crossbow from the motorcycle. He had the strap around the seat's back so it hung off the end of the bike. Kat shook her head, biting her lip to try to hide the smirk that was fighting her, as she walked closer to him. This wasn't the time to be admiring a view, obstructed by clothes or not. She stopped at his side as he lifted the Horton and stood up straight again.

Dale was the first to break the silence. "How is he?" He said as he looked at Rick.

"He'll pull through," Lori nodded, a smile on her lips as she looked behind her, "thanks to Hershel and- and his people."

"And Shane." Rick smiled, as he looked over to his friend. "We'd have lost Carl if not for him."

Kat glanced over at the mention of the man, along with everyone else. There he stood, looking like a deer caught in headlights, with his new haircut and oversized clothes.

Dale and Rick walked closer to each other for a hug as Carol did the same with Lori. "Thank God." She sighed as she held the younger woman close. "We were so worried."

Rick and Lori were right next to them now, no longer in front of them, in front of the Greene's. But Kat noticed Daryl would hardly take his eyes of the strangers. They looked harmless enough. But she understood; you couldn't trust people you didn't know. Right now, more than ever. And Daryl didn't seem like the person that handed trust out like candy, anyway.

Rick turned to her once Dale let him go and brought her in for a hug. "I'm glad he's all right. The boy's have been asking about him." She quietly laughed.

Rick let her go, holding onto her small shoulders. He looked down at her face before looking to Sam, who was still right next to her. "You guys can see him when he wakes up." He gave Sam a smile, which he returned as Rick stepped back again.

"How'd it happen?" Dale asked.

"Huntin accident. That's all- just a stupid accident." Rick waved his hand in the air for a second.

Introductions were passed around between Hershel's people and the much larger group after Rick and Lori explained what had all transpired over the past 24 hours. Hershel asked everybody to help gather the rest of the rocks they were looking for before everyone showed up, so they could get Otis's memorial under way.

Once they had a good sized wheel barrel full they moved it to a clear spot of land under several trees as the Greene's started placing rocks, building up a mound that was slowly growing in height.

The Survivors gathered around as they watched. Patricia's quiet sobs for her late husband drowned out once again by Hershel's voice as he finished a few lines from the Bible in his hands. "Blessed be God," He said, shutting the book, "Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Praise be to Him for the gift of our brother Otis," he continued as the Greene's started walking up, one by one, grabbing the smaller rocks from the wheel barrel and placing them on top before walking back, "for his span of years, for his abundance of character; Otis, who gave his life to save a child's, now more than ever, our most precious asset. We thank You, God, for the peace he enjoys in Your embrace. He died as he lived, in grace."

Shane stared off into the grass. Not really paying attention to what was going on around him. His mind kept playing him back what **actually** happened.

"Shane," Hershel said, snapping him out of his reverie, "will you speak for Otis?"

"I'm not good at it." He said as he looked at the ground with a sad smile. "I'm sorry."

"You were the last one with him." Patricia said. "You shared his final moments. Please." Her voice cracked. "I need to hear. I need to know his death had meaning." She said as she looked at him, the tears ready to fall again.

Shane looked at her for a second before pulling his eyes away. "Meaning." He said quietly. He looked around for a few seconds. He'd practiced this story over and over again in his head last night, waiting for the moment he would be asked what happened.

"We were about done...Almost out of ammo. We were down to pistols by then. I was limpin. It was bad..Ankle all swollen up..'We gotta save the boy.' See, that's what he said." Shane said, feigning sadness as he made his voice go higher at the last word. "He gave me his backpack. He shoved me ahead. 'Run,' he said. He said, 'I'll take the rear. I'll cover you.' And when I looked back..." Shane stopped, looking around before he locked eyes with Patricia.

Everyone seemed to have bought the story as Rick's hand absentmindedly went to his gun. _The one he'd lent _**_Otis_**_. _Kat thought as she saw him move his arm. Rick had told them that part when they'd gave them the run down of what had happened in their time away. _Then how'd Shane get it back? _Dale looked confused as well, not even seeing as Daryl's eyes followed Kat's to Rick's hand, the gears turning in his head, too.

Shane limped forwards towards the wheel barrel. "If not for Otis...I'd have never made it out alive." He said as he picked up a rock. He walked around the wheel barrel towards the growing pile they made. "And that goes for Carl, too. It was Otis. He saved us both." He turned and looked at the memorial as everyone watched him before he looked back at Patricia. "If any death ever had meaning, it was his."

Patricia nodded as he turned around and placed the rock on top of the pile.

* * *

"Where are you goin?" Sam said as Kat walked by him and towards the woods after they got done setting up their three tents. He was sitting on the ground outside going through his bag, sorting his clothes into piles. Dirty, and slightly less dirty. The others were too distracted either putting up their tents or gathering around with Hershel to be bothered with them.

"Just going for a walk for a little bit. Gonna look around." Kat said quietly, turning her head to look at him while she continued towards the woods. He started throwing his clothes and bag into the tent while he got up.

"No. Stay here with Dylan." She turned and looked at him. She stood there and waited until he sat back down with a sigh.

Sam watched her walk away, again. He glanced over at Carol's car where the other adults were, waiting for Maggie to come back with something she said would be useful. Kaleb was inside with Lori, Carl and Carol. He looked behind him towards the house where Dylan wasn't paying any attention. He was busy chatting up the youngest Greene girl. Sam decided he would sit there for a few more minutes before he'd sneak in the direction his sister had gone off in.

* * *

"How long has this girl been lost?" Hershel asked the people in front of him. They were standing at the front of Carol's Cherokee. Rick was beside him as Shane and Andrea leaned on the hood. Daryl had finished putting his tent up, glancing around the camp, not seeing Kat as he walked over to them.

"This'll be day three." Rick said as Maggie walked back to them with a large rolled up paper in one hand and a couple rocks in the other.

"County survey map." She said as she reached them. She spread the map out onto the hood of the car and set the two rocks down on the top corners to hold it there. "Shows terrain and elevations."

"This is perfect." Shane said as he looked down at the map with the others. He'd changed back into his normal fitting clothes after the memorial since the others had brought the cars and their belongings.

"We can finally get this thing organized." Rick said. "We'll grid the whole area, start searchin in teams."

"Not you. Not today." Hershel said as he looked at Rick, causing the man to look at him. "You gave three units of blood. You wouldn't be hiking five minutes in this heat before passin out." He said. He then looked at Shane. "And your ankle- push it now, you'll be laid up a month, no good to anybody."

Daryl looked at the old man for a second then raised his eyebrows briefly before he pointed at the map. "Guess it's just me." Daryl's tongue shot out over his bottom lip before going back in his mouth. "I'm gonna head back to the creek, work my way from there." He said as he nodded at Rick while he readjusted his Horton on his shoulder. Rick nodded at him.

"I can still be useful. I'll drive up to the interstate, see if Sophia wandered back." Shane said as he looked at the small group around him.

"All right, tomorrow then. We'll start doin this right." Rick glanced down at the map again.

"That means we can't have our people out there with just knives. I'm not too worried about the Carsen's, but the rest of em need the gun trainin we've been promisin em." Shane said.

At the mention of **them**, Daryl looked around, noticing Kat was still nowhere to be seen. Dylan was still with Beth, Jimmy hanging in the back looking mildly annoyed. Daryl looked to the treeline and thought he saw a small figure disappear into the woods half a second after his eyes hit it. He knew Kaleb was inside, so it could only have been Sam, who was also absent. He looked back at the group.

"I'd prefer you not carrying guns on my property. We've managed so far without turnin this into an armed camp." Hershel said.

Shane removed his navy blue cap from his head that read 'Police' on the front. "All due respect, you get a crowd of those things wanderin in here.." He chuckled as he put his cap back on.

"Look, we're guests here. This is your property and we** will** respect that." Rick said as he looked from Hershel to Shane. He removed his Colt Python from it's holster and set it on the hood of Carol's Cherokee, on top of the map. Shane sighed and looked away for a minute before he did the same with his Glock 17. "First things first: set camp, find Sophia." Rick said as the two with gun's had theirs laid out on the hood. Daryl's was in the bag on Merle's bike, and he sure as hell wasn't walking over there and handing it over. He didn't have it on him at the moment, that was good enough, he thought.

"I hate to be the one to ask, but somebody's got to. What happens if we find her and she's bit?" Shane asked as he rested his hands on the hood of the car. "I think we should all be clear on how we handle that."

Rick looked down at the map again. "You do what has to be done."

"And her mother? What do ya tell her?" Maggie asked as she pulled her eyebrows together.

"The truth." Andrea said, like it was obvious. What else would they do? Lie to her? Just say they didn't find her? So she could spend the rest of the time thinking she was forever out there alone when they suddenly stopped going out and looking. That would fly.

Maggie looked at her father, but he shook his head at her. These people didn't see things the way they did, that much was already obvious. They would keep their business to themselves.

Shane grabbed his Glock from the hood before taking Rick's. "I'll gather and secure all the weapons. Make sure no one's carryin till we're at a practice range off site. I do** request** one rifleman on lookout. Dale's got experience." Shane said as he looked at Hershel. Everyone waited in silence for a few seconds for the man's reply.

"Our people would feel safer, less inclined to carry a gun." Rick said as he turned to face him. Another couple seconds passed before Hershel nodded. "Thank you."

Daryl slapped his hand on the hood of the car to let them know he was leaving as he walked away. He was making a stop at his tent to grab a few things before he went straight for the trees where he'd seen Sam walk off in across the property. Shane also departed to go on gun-collecting detail.

"That stuff you brought, got more antibiotics, bandages, anything like that?" Maggie asked Rick.

"Just what you've seen." Andrea answered her before leaving.

"We're runnin short already. I should make a run into town." Maggie said to her father.

"Not the place Shane went?" Rick quickly asked, concern etched on his face.

"No, there's a pharmacy just a mile down the road. I've done it before." She said as she looked back at her father.

Rick turned and looked behind him, several feet away where the group was setting up their camp. His eyes were searching for the person he knew he could depend on for this little errand. "See our man there in the baseball cap?" Rick asked as they looked towards the young man. "That's Glenn, our..go-to-town expert. I'd ask him along just to be cautious."

Hershel looked from Rick to Maggie as he tilted his head in Glenn's direction. Maggie nodded her head as she leaned off the car and walked over to the young man.

* * *

Shane had went and grabbed the bag of guns from the RV and was limping his way down the stairs to the ground below. He took a few steps before the figure off to his right stopped him. Lori was standing there. They looked at each other, an awkward silence starting as they both stood there for a couple seconds. Shane's eyes found the ground before he looked at her face again. "I hear he, uh, he woke up."

Lori smiled. "Yeah. He's in and out, but yeah. He'll be all right." She nodded.

Shane let out a relieved sigh with a little laugh as Lori joined him. "That's good." He nodded his head with a smile. He started to walk past her as she made her way into the RV. As she got to the door, Shane turned around. "Did you mean it?"

"What?" Lori turned to look at him.

Shane turned to face her fully again as he looked around him. "You said stay. Did you mean it?" He asked more quietly as he took a couple steps to her. "Look, if you didn't just say so..But do it now. I need to know."

"..I meant it."

Shane looked at her for a few seconds. "All right then." He said as he slowly turned around and walked away. Lori watched him before she turned back around and went for the bathroom of the RV.

* * *

Glenn was still trying to figure out which tent pole went where when he felt someone standing next to him. He looked to his left and saw the oldest Green daughter, Maggie, standing there with a smile on her face.

"I hear you're fast on your feet and know how to get in and out." She said. Glenn gave her a confused look. "Got a pharmacy run. You in?"

"Uhh...Ssu.."

"Miss," Dale interrupted as he walked up to the two, making both of them look at him, "what's the water situation here?"

"Got five wells on our land. House draws directly from number one." She said as she held her arm out and pointed her finger in the direction of the different well locations. "Number-two well is right over there. We use it for the cattle but it's just as pure. Take what you need. There's a cart and containers in the generator shed behind the house." Dale nodded at her as she turned her head back to Glenn. "I'll go saddle your horse then." She said as she walked off in the direction of the stables that were on the other side of the property.

Glenn looked at the empty space she had just been standing in for a second before he turned to look at Dale who was still next to him. "Horse?"

* * *

Shane had quickly collected the few guns that were floating around the camp and was now laying the gun bag out on the picnic table that was near the RV as Andrea walked over to him. He ejected the clip from his Glock as she came to a halt at the table.

"Give up our guns?" She asked in a condescending tone.

Shane sighed as he took his hat off before he set it down on the table. "You heard Rick. We're guests here."

"And you're okay with it?"

"I don't recall bein asked. Now lay down your weapon." Shane said as he started opening up the bag.

Andrea readjusted her bag on her shoulder as she shook her head. "You may like rolling over, I don't."

"Look, I have to strip and clean em anyway. You still wanna learn?" He asked. The hard, angry look she'd had on her face softened a bit at his offer. "Go on." He said, raising his eyebrows. She still hadn't handed over her gun. She reached into her bag and put it on the table in front of them. "All right. Sit down." He said as they both sat on the benches across from each other. "Unload your weapon."

Andrea picked up her gun and started to eject the clip as Shane put his hand on the barrel she had facing towards him. "Hey, hey." He said as he lightly pushed it off to the side. She held it facing away from him as she took out the magazine and set it on the table.

"Check the chamber. Pull it back." He said, motioning with his hands. Andrea did as she was told, showing that it was empty. "See, push that lever out." He said as she once again followed his instructions. She pulled the take down lever out and set it on the table. "It'll slide off." He said. She pulled the slide and it did just as he said. She smiled to herself as she looked down at the gun she was taking apart. Shane raised his eyebrows as he put his hands down on the table. "You're halfway there."

* * *

Kat had only been walking further into the forest for about 15 minutes, ducking under branches and weaving through trees as the woods were thicker here when she heard a rustling behind her. She unsnapped the button that held her combat knife in it's sheath on her shoulder holster as she turned around, waiting for whatever was making the noise to show itself. A few seconds pasted, the sound getting closer, before the culprit slipped through the brush.

"God damn it, Sam, what the hell did I tell you?" She said as she saw his blond hair come out from under the tree branch she'd just went under a couple seconds before. She lowered her knife to her side as he came closer and stood to his full height. Which was eye to eye with Kat's 5 foot frame.

Sam looked at her like he was bored. "You shouldn't be out here by yourself."

Kat raised her eyebrows at her little brother, 10 years her junior. "**You** shouldn't be out here by yourself. What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't by myself..I was only a little ways from you the whole time..I was quiet too, you didn't even notice I was behind you till the stupid trees got thicker." Kat started to interrupt him but he cut her off. "I have my gun and was always paying attention for any Walkers. I'm not stupid."

Kat sighed as she looked down at him. She had to give him credit. Not a lot of people could sneak up on her. "It doesn't matter. You shouldn't have snuck away from them to catch up with me. I doubt you told Dylan where you were going, right?" She nodded her head at him, already knowing the answer. Had he told his older brother, he wouldn't even be standing here right now.

Sam just looked at the ground for a second before looking back at her face. "You're always going off on your own, leaving us with Dylan. You did that even before we met up with all those people. I'm sick of being left behind. I'm not a damn baby."

"Hey!" Kat looked into his blue eyes with a sigh. "I know you aren't...I'm just trying to keep you boys safe. You're more protected there with all of them than out here in the open with me."

"Well..**I** can keep **you** safe." Sam shrugged his shoulders at her as he pulled a corner of his mouth up ever so slightly. "I just..don't want anything to happen to you, too."

Kat looked at him for a second. She was contemplating turning them around and walking back to camp or to just keep going. She held out her other arm towards him, silently telling him to walk next to her as she let out an exasperated sigh, though she was smiling. "Come on, you brat."

They continued on the way Kat was originally going for a few more minutes before Sam spoke up again. "What are you doing anyway?"

Kat shrugged her shoulders as they came up to a steep, rocky hill. It looked like it wrapped around a large area from what part of it she could see. It was a few feet high, but they would be able to climb up it. And that's what she was planning on doing. "Just looking around. Checking out the area around here..Seeing if there's any sign of Sophia over this way. Or anything, really." She said as she grabbed onto the trunk of a small birch tree and pulled herself up, Sam following her example.

"You think she made it this far? It's a little bit away from the highway."

"If she kept going, she could have." She said as they climbed to the top. The brush wasn't as thick on the top of the hill, but it quickly dropped down, mirroring the other side. They started climbing their way down, using the trees as support.

"Do you think we're gonna find her?" Sam asked as he slipped a little, grabbing onto a tree beside him as Kat turned to grab his arm. He was already balanced again, though.

Kat thought on the question for a second. She was honestly losing hope as the days went by. A missing child's chances in the normal world was one thing, but in **this** world, now? "I don't know...But if Daryl can pick up a trail again, he'd be the one to find her if she's still out here."

"Is he really that good at tracking?"

Kat smiled a little as they reached the bottom. "Yeah..He could give uncle Phil a run for his money."

Sam smiled, but it was a sad one, and Kat's slowly followed. "Do you think they're all right?" He quietly asked.

Kat hadn't thought about them for weeks to be honest, with everything that was happening. And she wasn't sure if she wanted to tell him what she'd told Dylan weeks ago when they left Elijay. She glanced down at him as they walked through the trees into the area the rocky, natural fence had been hiding. _He isn't a baby. "_I hope so...But we stayed at the house for so long because I was waiting to see if they'd come back. When they didn't..I decided it was time to leave." She said quietly as they walked out of the tree line into a clearing.

Sam nodded his head. "That's kinda what I thought was going on..Rising Fawn was only about two hours from where we were...if they were okay they would've come home." Kat looked down at him. That was exactly why she'd waited those weeks. He looked over at her, pulling his mouth into a half smile. "I'm not stupid." He told her, again. She smiled at him as they both looked out onto the area the rocky hills were wrapped around. "Whoa."

The little valley in front of them was slightly over grown with grass. It was maybe a little less than the size of a football field. The steep rocky hills wrapped around the whole area, and there was a decent sized pond in the middle. It looked untouched from this mess as far as Kat could tell. No sign of anything, and no sign of Sophia.

"Hmm." Kat nodded as she looked around. It looked safe here. Maybe she could sneak off to this place whenever she needed time away while they were here. That's what she missed about her home back in Elijay. The quiet little pond out back behind her house, nothing like her apartment on the streets of DC. She would sit out there to think most of the time or to just enjoy how peaceful it was. Being alone was something she missed. She liked having time to herself to just unwind. She couldn't do that anymore with people constantly around. "It's nice."

"That water looks nice." Sam said as he stared at the pond. The water wasn't dirty and gross like most ponds he'd seen. It reminded him of the clear blue water at the quarry.

Kat nodded as she thought the same thing. "Let's head back, before people start wondering where we're at. Since **you** snuck off." She looked at him and raised her eyebrows as they turned back around and headed for the rocky hill again.

"You did too." Sam made his voice higher as he brought his eyebrows together.

Kat let out a little laugh. "Well I at least **mentioned** to Dylan I might go out for a bit. You just ran off."

Sam shook his head at her as they climbed.

* * *

Rick was sitting on the brick stairs that led up to the Greene's house, waiting for Hershel. They were going to drive a couple minutes to the edge of his property to give Rick a better idea of where they were exactly. Rick was messing with his hat in his hands while he was looking out over the land. He turned his head to look in the direction of the sound of gravel being walked on as he saw Daryl's retreating form step off of the grass onto the driveway as he passed over it, heading towards the trees. Rick stood up.

"Daryl." He called out, causing the man to slow down until he came to a stop while he looked at Rick, who stepped closer. "You okay on your own?"

"I'm better on my own." Daryl said as he turned around and started walking towards the trees again. "Don't worry, I'll be back before dark."

"Hey." Rick shouted as Daryl kept walking. Rick took a few more steps before he stopped as Daryl slowed and turned back around. "We got a base." Rick said as he looked around them. "We can get this search properly organized now."

_What the hell's he gettin at?_ Daryl thought as he stepped towards Rick. "You got a point or are we just chattin?"

"My point..is it lets you off the hook. You don't owe us anythin."

Daryl turned around and started walking for the woods. "My other plans fell through." _Damn it, Merle._

Rick furrowed his brow as he watched the youngest Dixon walk away. He put his Sheriff's hat back on his head and placed his hands on his hips as he turned back towards the house, seeing Hershel come out of the front screen door and down the steps. The old man held the rolled up map in his hand and his cane in the other as he came to a stop next to Rick. The two looked out over their camp that was mostly set up now.

"We could give you more space." Rick said as he looked back at him. "Set up over by the barn." Rick pointed to the old wooden structure on the other side of the large yard.

"No, no need for that." Hershel said. "Better you stay close to the house." He said as he turned from the barn to the man in front of him. "I don't say this easily, Rick. We don't normally take in strangers. I can't have your people thinkin this is permanent. Once you find this girl and your boy's fit for travel, I expect you'll move on..We need to be clear on that." Hershel said. The men looked at each other for a second before Hershel turned and walked towards his 1990 Chevy Suburban.

Rick looked at the ground in front of himbefore he followed the man.

* * *

Glenn was looking through the binoculars in his hands at Maggie, seeing her make her way back to the house from the stables. She was on a light brown horse and leading another one by it's reins behind her.

"Hello farmer's daughter." Glenn said to himself as he smiled at the magnified view in front of him. Maggie was pretty hot, he had to admit. The vision was interrupted as Lori stepped in front of him. He quickly put the binoculars down as he looked between her and the device, a little embarrassed he'd gotten caught looking.

"Hi." Lori smiled. "Here's your list." She said as she held out the paper to him. He took it from her, looking around briefly to see if anyone else had caught him before he unfolded the list to glance at a few of the items. Lori reached into her back pocket and stepped closer to him. "And, um, there's-there's one other item. I wrote it down separately. It's personal. If we could be **real** discreet about that, okay?" Lori whispered.

Glenn shook his head at her as he took the paper from her and unfolded it. "Sure."

"Thank you." She said as she turned around.

_True Blue. What the heck is that? _He looked up at her fleeing figure as she walked away from him. "Uhh..what is it?" If it was tampons, they would've just wrote it down, they did the last time.

She stopped and turned around. "Kinda missed the point of the whole discreet thing, Glenn." She smiled before she turned and walked away again.

"Oh, right." He looked back down at the paper before walking closer to her. She stopped and looked at him. "I just- I just need to know where to find it." He whispered.

She looked out over the yard. "Try the..feminine hygiene section." She said as she looked at him.

"Oh. Enough said. Consider it done." Glenn nodded.

* * *

Dale and T-Dog had made their way clear over to the second well on the property. They had a wheel barrel filled with several jugs they were planning on filling up so they would have a good amount of drinking water.

T-Dog set the wheel barrel down as they came to a stop at the pump, which was several feet away from the actual well. "I'm not weak and I'm not a coward." T-Dog panted.

"I never said you were." Dale said as he set the jug in his hands down on the ground next to him.

"No, what I said on the highway- I don't know what that was, where it came from. That wasn't me." T-Dog said as he started pumping the handle, bringing up fresh water from the well, letting it pour into the bucket they set on the ground in front of it. "If it's okay, I'd rather you never told anybody about that stuff I said."

Dale looked at him, confused. "What stuff? I couldn't get a word out of you all day." He said as he looked at the water flowing into the bucket.

T-Dog glanced at the old man with a toothy grin, causing Dale to smile at him. "Say, man, you think there's a snowball's chance we'll actually find that little girl?"

"For the first time in my life I'm bettin on the snowball." Dale said as he looked around the area they were at. His eyes landed on the actual well. It was covered with planks of wood, but just above the well, the boards were broken. He furrowed his brow as he walked closer to it.

"Yeah." T-Dog said as he kept pumping the handle. "Me, too. Do whatever we have to. I don't care if I have to comb the woods like Rambo or fetch a pail of water. Everyone kicks in, does their part."

Dale could hear movement at the bottom of the well, water sloshing around, as he leaned over and looked down through the busted out boards.

"Am I right?" T-Dog said. Dale stood back up. "Do your part, don't complain." T-Dog said as he leaned over, taking the steel ladle they had in the wheel barrel and dipping it into the now filled bucket of water from the well. "That's what I always-" Dale knocked into him at the moment, knocking the ladle from his hand before he could get it to his mouth for a drink. T-Dog raised his eyebrows as he looked at the man.

"I wouldn't drink that if I were you." Dale said. T-Dog's face fell as he looked behind Dale at the well, at the broken boards on top.

* * *

Daryl was following the path Sam had left when he heard quiet talking ahead of him. He'd know that voice anywhere by now. He let out a couple whistles.

"That's not a bird." Kat said as she looked ahead of them around the trees.

"Hello?" Sam said a little louder.

"'S me." Daryl called back as he walked closer, finally appearing from behind a large tree in the middle of the path. "What're ya doin out here?"

"Went for a walk." Kat shrugged her shoulders. "What are you doin?"

"Planned on lookin for the girl."

Kat nodded as she looked at him. "We were heading back to camp, but we can go with you. Didn't see anything back that way." She tilted her head behind her, in the direction they'd come from.

Daryl nodded, he hadn't seen any sign of anyone other than Sam coming this way. "Just came lookin for you guys. Saw this one walkin into the woods a lil while before I left. Figured he was with you."

"You saw me?" Sam asked, he almost sounded a little disappointed. Daryl nodded at him.

Kat lightly elbowed her little brother. "You hear that? Need to brush up on your ninja skills a little there, bud." Kat smiled at him before looking at Daryl.

"Well we can't all be you." Sam rolled his eyes.

Daryl smirked. "She sneaky?" He asked, looking from Sam back to Kat.

"Oh, yeah." The boy said.

Kat let out a scoffing laugh before she brushed past Daryl. "Come on." Sam followed right after her as Daryl turned around, walking up beside her. He turned them after a few feet and started walking in the direction of the creek. They'd start there then fan out on their way back to camp.

* * *

"Hey, Glenn. Don't leave yet. Need you and Maggie for somethin. Go get Dylan." Shane said. Glenn and Maggie both looked towards the man. T-Dog was standing by him and Andrea with a look of concern on his face.

Glenn, Maggie, Dylan, Lori, Andrea, T-Dog and Shane all made their way to a waiting Dale at the well. As they got closer, they all either knelt down or bent over to see into the hole, finally seeing the cause of concern as Dale shone a flashlight towards the bottom. A large Walker had busted the boards when it wandered on top of the well. It was moving around at the bottom, knocking into the pieces of wood floating on the water. It hissed and growled as it looked up at them.

"Looks like we got us a swimmer." Dale said.

"Dylan, help me get this off." Shane said as he took a hold of the remaining cover on the well. He and Dylan lifted the boards off almost effortlessly and moved them off to the side, setting them on the ground. _No wonder it busted through._ They weren't very sturdy. The boards must've been sitting on top of that thing for a long time.

"How long you think it's been down there?" Glenn asked as they looked through the now open well.

"Long enough to grow gills." Andrea said as she looked down at the waterlogged Walker. It's color was gray and decaying like most of them were, but the skin covering it was almost transparent from being in the water for so long.

"We can't leave it in there. God knows what it's doin to the water." Lori said.

"We gotta get it out." Shane said as he looked down at it with everyone else.

"Easy. Put a bullet in it's head." T-Dog said. "I'll get a rope."

"Whoa, whoa, guys. No." Maggie said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Why not? It's a good plan." Glenn said as he stood up from his bent over position and looked at her.

"It's a stupid plan." Andrea said as she looked at Glenn before peering back into the well. "If that thing hasn't contaminated the water yet, blowing it's brains out will finish the job."

"She's right...Can't risk it." Shane said.

"So it has to come out alive?" T-Dog asked, looking down at the Walker again.

"So to speak." Shane smiled a little.

Glenn bent back over the well, resting his hands on his knees. "How do we do that?" He asked as he looked around at everyone.

Dylan had his hands linked together and on top of his head as he looked around at them. He shrugged his shoulders as he let his hands fall to his sides. "Go get the rope."

* * *

"The interstate where you broke down is here." Hershel said to Rick as he pointed to a road on the map. "There's your creek." He said as he moved his finger. "My farm is here. We're lookin out that way, south-southeast." Hershel held his hand out to the land in front of them. They had stopped on the edge of a dirt-cliff of sorts, looking out onto a valley at the edge of the Greene's land. They had both been kneeling down in the grass with the map laid out at their feet, but Hershel was standing up now, walking to the edge of the sloped cliff.

Rick looked down at the map, pointing out the landmarks to himself. "We missed this branch of the creek entirely. If she went that direction, she'd be miles from where we looked."

"Rick, take a moment. Come look." Hershel said as he tilted his head back at the younger Sheriff. Rick stood and walked over to the old man, putting his hat back on. "That's something, isn't it?" Hershel pointed his cane into the view in front of them. The valley beyond the trees, the creek running through the middle, all the way to the forest in the distance that blended into the high hill tops in the background. The blue sky and white clouds giving it a picture perfect backdrop. It was a beautiful sight. "It's good to pause for an occasional reminder."

"Of what?" Rick asked.

"Whatever comes to mind. For me it's often God." Hershel said, turning to Rick, noticing the grimace on his face. "No thoughts on that?"

"Last time I asked God for a favor and stopped to admire a view my son got shot." He said as he turned to face Hershel. The old man nodded slightly. "I try not to mix it up with the Almighty anymore..Best we stay outta each other's way." Rick looked back out onto the valley.

"Lori told me your story- how you were shot, the coma. Yet you came out of it somehow. You did not feel God's hand in yours?"

Rick smiled and looked down as he chuckled a little. "At that moment? No, I did not." He said, looking back up at the man, remembering how alone he felt when he had came to and realized he was by himself. That his family was gone.

"In all the chaos you found your wife and boy. Then he was shot and he survived. That tells you nothing?" Hershel raised his eyebrows a little.

"Tells me God's got a strange sense of humor." Rick said, looking at Hershel before he turned and walked back to the map. Hershel gave him a small smile as he looked back out at the creek.

* * *

Dylan had wrapped the large chunk of ham Maggie brought him from the fridge with twine and tied it to a piece of wood that Dale was holding. He was lowering it down into the well as Shane had a hold on the rope that they had made a noose out of. The plan was to put it around the upper half of the Walker when it reached for the ham. But as they dangled the meat in front of the Walker's face, it acted like it wasn't even there.

"He's not goin for it." Dale said as he and Shane stood side by side, looking into the well.

"Maybe cause a canned ham don't kick and scream when ya try to eat it." T-Dog said, shining the flashlight on the Walker as he leaned against his knee while they all watched.

Dale bobbed the ham up and down in front of the Walker's face again but it turned away from it.

"He's right. There's a reason the dead didn't come back to life and start raiding our cupboards." Lori said.

"We need live bait." Andrea said, then looked at Glenn who was standing next to her.

Glenn felt everyone's eyes on him all of a sudden and stood up straight as he looked around. Maggie, unaware of what they all had in mind, finally looked up, seeing everyone staring expectantly at the errand boy.

"You're the only one that's the right size." Andrea said as Glenn looked at the well and sighed.

He held his hand out. "D-Dylan. Dylan's around the same size I am. Why me?"

"He's around the same height, yeah, but he's a little more built than you are..You'll be easier to lift back out." Shane said as he looked across the well at him then back at Glenn. Glenn was a little scrawny compared to the eldest Carsen boy. It wasn't like Dylan had muscles popping out of his shirt, but he could tell the boy must've worked out a bit or did a lot of hard labor before this.

* * *

"Have I mentioned that I really like your new haircut? You have a nice shaped head." Glenn said as he was sitting on the edge of the well, Shane tightening the rope around him. They'd made a makeshift climbing harness that fit around his thighs and waist.

"Don't worry about it, bud. Hey, we're gonna get outta here in one piece." Shane said as he stood up and handed Glenn the noose that was to go around the Walker.

"**Living** piece." Glenn said as he took the rope from Shane, shouldering it as he held his flashlight in his hand. "The living part is important."

Shane walked over to the front of the line they'd formed, everyone holding onto the rope. They had it looped around the water pump for support and then leading to Glenn.

"Nice and slow, please." Glenn said as he leaned forward, holding onto the iron bar that went across the length of the well at the top. They had the rope wrapped around it once so it would lower him down smoothly.

"We got you." Andrea said as they all tightened their grip on the rope.

"Oh, you people are crazy." Maggie said from behind them as she stood there with her arms crossed over her chest.

"You wanna get it out of your well or not?" Shane said as he looked back at her.

"Give us an eye there, Maggie." Dale said as he looked at the well.

Maggie uncrossed her arms as she walked to the well and stood next to Glenn. He looked back at her as she shook her head. Glenn let go of the edge of the well as they started to lower him down. He started breathing heavy as he looked from the rusty iron bar that held the rope that was now his lifeline, to the growling Walker below him.

Maggie leaned in over the well to look down at him. "Doin okay?"

"Yup, doin great." He smiled up at her before he looked back down at the Walker. "Livin the dream." He said quietly. He held his flashlight and shone it on the Walker as he took the noose off his shoulder. They kept lowering him down slowly.

"Little lower..Little more." Maggie was coaching them as she watched Glenn get closer and closer to the growling Walker. It was getting more and more agitated the further down Glenn got.

The old rusty screws on the water pump couldn't take the weight anymore as they slowly started separating from the old boards holding it in place. Shane looked from Maggie leaning over the well to the pump when he heard a bang and saw the pump falling to the ground.

Glenn screamed as he felt himself fall a couple feet.

"Get it! Get it!" Maggie yelled as she ran behind Dale and grabbed for the rope.

"Grab it!" T-Dog yelled as Shane let go of the rope and ran to the water pump before it could be ripped away. But he was a second too late. The pump completely separated from the pipes and flew towards the well, Glenn's weight pulling the rope. He fell several feet further into the well as T-Dog and Shane both jumped at the pump.

Glenn's feet were inches from the snarling Walker as it grabbed for him. "Get me out of here!" He yelled between screams.

T-Dog was lying on his back, holding the pump to his chest, his feet planted on the slightly raised sides of the well as he pushed against it, trying to pull Glenn up. Everyone was grabbing for the pump and rope, trying with everything they had not to let Glenn fall further down.

"Get it off. Get off." Glenn said as he looked down at the Walker, grabbing at his feet. He kicked at it's hands and grabbed for the wall trying to pull himself up. "Get off! Get me out!"

Everyone topside was straining as they tried to pull him back up. Without the support from the pump, it felt like he weighed twice as much. "Hang on, Glenn!" Lori yelled.

"Get off me! Get off me!" Glenn screamed at the Walker as he felt it grab onto his foot again. "This is bad. Oh, my God. Guys, get me out! Come on you guys. Get me out of here!" He kicked at it's face again as he dropped his flashlight into the water. "Oh, God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God! Get me out of here!" He yelled to the top of the well.

Everyone on top was yelling at each other to 'pull' as they struggled to get to their feet.

"Get me up. Get me up. Come on, guys. Oh, God." Glenn said as he felt himself slowly being lifted.

"Glenn!" Lori yelled.

"Pull him up! Come on! Pull him up!" Shane yelled as they all started pulling harder.

"Oh, my God. Oh, my God! Pull me up! Pull me up!" Glenn said as he saw the Walker getting farther away beneath him. "Get me out of here!" He yelled as he got to the top. He grabbed onto the iron bar as soon as he was able and pulled himself to the top, launching himself onto the dirt beside the well. Everyone ran to him as he fell to the ground and crawled away on his hands and knees.

Lori put her hands on his back and knelt down in front of him. "Are you okay? All right?" Glenn hung his head to the ground as he tried to catch his breath. He slowly sat up on his knees as they all looked from him to the well.

"Back to the drawing board." Dale said from next to Glenn.

Glenn looked up at him as he got to his feet. "Says you." He said as he handed Dale the other rope. He walked away as he started taking the harness off himself.

Dale took the rope and gave it a tug, noting the weight on the other side that was pulling back. They all quickly walked back to the opening of the well and looked down at the roped Walker.

* * *

Kat, Sam and Daryl had been walking for a couple hours before they had made their way into the clearing ahead of them. There was an old, run down, two story house behind a few big oak trees across the clearing.

"Let's check it out." Kat said as she grabbed one of her Ulaks from behind her. A blade in both of her hands, now.

Daryl lifted the strap from his Horton over his head as he took it from his back. He pulled his last bolt from the quiver on the crossbow as he brought it to the front of him while they walked towards the house.

They made their way to the front, stopping at the double doors. Kat tried the door knob while Daryl loaded the bolt into his bow. "Locked." She whispered to him behind her.

He jerked his head to the side as he brought the Horton to his shoulder. _Outta the way. _She stepped off to the window next to the door, while Sam took the other side. Daryl stood in front of the door and nodded at Kat a second before his foot connected with the wood. The flimsy doors flew open easily as they revealed the inside of the house.

Daryl's eyes quickly scanned the open space in front of them before he took a few cautious steps inside, Kat right behind him, followed by Sam.

"Watch our backs." Kat whispered to him, causing the boy to turn around.

Daryl peered into the room on his left while Kat went straight ahead. He looked into what used to be a bedroom before turning to the room behind him and doing the same. Kat made her way up the stairs in front of them while Sam kept glancing from the front door to the space around him, always watching and listening. Daryl walked past the stairs and towards the room at the back while Sam followed him. He looked inside. _Nothing. _At all. The room was completely empty. The family that lived here must've moved before all of this happened. Leaving nonessentials behind.

Daryl turned around, seeing Kat at the top of the stairs looking in the rooms, and made his way to the doorway at the bottom of them. The last room on the first floor to be cleared. He held his crossbow tight to his shoulder while he walked into the kitchen. Seeing nothing right away, he walked further into the room, towards the small bathroom in the back. _Empty._ Sam stood in the doorway while he watched him. Daryl lowered his crossbow as he turned around back into the kitchen.

He looked in the waste basket that was by a cupboard right next to the bathroom door. He saw an empty can of sardines, but the water left in the can hadn't dried up yet. He picked the can up and brought it to his nose. It had been opened fairly recently by whoever ate the small fish. He poured the water out into the trash can as he looked ahead of him. Sam stepped into the room as Daryl looked at the cupboard on the other side of the kitchen, the door to it slightly ajar. He brought his crossbow back up to his shoulder as Sam looked in the direction he was aiming.

As Daryl walked closer to the cupboard, Sam walked further into the room. He stood at the back, behind Daryl as he aimed his Glock towards the cupboard. Daryl looked at the boy over his shoulder, giving him a nod as he reached his hand out to the handle. He quickly pulled the cupboard open, revealing, again, nothing. He and Sam both lowered their weapons as Daryl looked inside. There was a pillow and blankets on the floor under the shelves of the cupboard. Someone had been in here, someone small.

Kat walked down the stairs and into the kitchen while she put her Ulak back in it's sheath. She peeked around the cupboard door from where she was standing to see what Daryl was looking at. She leaned back against the wall as she looked at the boys. "Clear." She said, pointing the combat knife, still in her hand, behind her. "I'm sure you noticed the back door's wide open, though."

Daryl nodded as he looked at Sam, tilting his head towards his sister, making the boy walk out before him as Kat turned around and walked through the door way. Daryl had himself at the rear of their small group with Sam in the middle of them as they turned the corner and walked out the back door. They made their way down the few stairs and to the ground as they felt the Georgia heat hit them again as they walked outside. They all glanced around the backyard for a sign of anybody other than themselves, but coming up short.

"Sophia!" Daryl yelled from the second step at the bottom before coming down the rest. He walked to the side of the house, peeking around the corner before walking back to where Kat and Sam were. "Sophia!"

After looking around the yard and not seeing anything else, they began walking back towards the trees before Daryl veered them off to the side at the sight of a couple familiar white flowers. He walked the three of them over as he knelt down next to them.

"That's Georgia's state flower." Sam said as he got a better look.

"Yeah..Cherokee Rose." Daryl said. He looked behind him at the thirteen year old. "Ya know the legend?"

"Uh..Something about..the Trail of Tears." He made it sound more like a question than an answer.

Daryl looked back at the flowers, playing with the stems, as he repeated the story he grew up being told.

"I think Carol would like that." Kat smiled down at him as he looked up at her when he finished. She looked at the flowers again.

* * *

The Well Walker was growling and snarling as it was being hauled to the surface. Glenn had managed to loop the rope around the Walker as it was grabbing at him in the well. They had a good grip on it, the rope under the thing's arms as they pulled it up. And it was a lot heavier than Glenn. Maggie had gone to get one of the horses and tied the end of the rope to the horn of the saddle, using the horse's power along with theirs to help.

"Come on, guys, pull!" T-Dog shouted. He was standing at the opening of the well, letting them know how much farther they had,. He had the handle of the pump in his hand.

"Come on, y'all!" Shane yelled. "Come on, now."

"Almost there." T-Dog said. "Come on, pull, guys."

"Come on." Shane said as they all pulled on the rope again. "Come on, y'all. Together."

T-Dog looked in the well, hearing the growls getting closer and closer. "Almost there. Come on, pull. Keep it comin."

"Come on, pull. Watch out, Dog." Shane said as he saw the Walker's ugly head come out from the top of the well.

"Nice and easy. Just a little more." T-Dog said as they pulled it out farther. The Walker grabbed at T-Dog's feet as it got out onto the top, causing T to jump out of it's reach. It started growling as he moved away. "Come on, almost there." He said as he brought his hand up to his mouth and nose. "You've gotta pull it, guys. It's stuck! Come on."

The heavy weight Walker's big belly was right on the edge of the well, it's lower half still inside. They were all groaning as they strained, pulling as hard as they could on the rope. Maggie walked the horse a couple more feet, trying to haul the Walker out the rest of the way. It started growling and snarling more as it was being pulled, hearing all of the activity from the people behind it.

"Pull!" Andrea yelled, just as the waterlogged skin of the Walker started to split. She and the group behind her all fell to their backs from the force they'd been pulling with as the weight suddenly lessened.

The lower part of the Walker's body fell back into the well, it's top half being ripped away as it fell onto the dirt outside of the well, spilling blood and entrails all over the ground. They all listened as the lower half fell back into the water along with whatever blood and decaying body parts were attached as the body split in two. The top half of the Well Walker, completely unfazed, just looked behind it, reaching it's hands out for the group of people a few feet away.

"Mm." T-Dog groaned as he looked into the sky, feeling his stomach doing flips at the sight and smell in front of him. Everyone else groaned along with him as they watched the Walker, it's arms reaching for them as it snarled and growled.

"We should seal off this well." Dale said.

Shane rubbed his head with his hand. "Yeah, might be a good idea."

"So what do we do about-"Andrea started to say, but was cut off by T-Dog's grunting as he slammed the pump's handle into the Walker's head several times.

Maggie, who had walked closer to the group, turned away as she let out a whimper and brought her arm up to her mouth. She walked towards the horse as Glenn turned and watched her.

"Good thing we didn't do anythin stupid like shoot it." T-Dog said as he looked at them. He threw the handle on the ground as he turned and walked away.

* * *

After the well mess was cleaned up, Shane, Andrea and Carol had drove to the highway and made their way to the car they wrote a sign on.

**SOPHIA STAY HERE  
****WE WILL COME EVERY DAY****  
**

They had written across the windshield of a car with white paint in all capital letters. Carol was looking at the words with her hands lightly resting on her bag on the hood of the car. The supplies they had left behind in case she found her way back, were untouched.

Shane and Andrea were standing a few feet behind her as the woman stared at the car. Andrea walked up and came to a stop beside her, putting her hand on Carol's back. "We'll come again tomorrow..You know there's always the chance-"

"Don't." Carol stopped her. "I really don't need to hear it anymore, Andrea..Save the thoughts and prayers." She said as she looked at her before turning her face back to the big, bold letters. Andrea looked at the ground for a second, patting Carol's shoulder as she walked past her.

"You never know, Carol." Shane said, not moving from his spot as he looked around them.

Carol's face twisted as she held her hand up in the air at her side, trying to shut him up. She would not let the tears fall, she kept telling herself as Shane walked past her.

Andrea had seen an area on the map a bit away from the highway they thought would work well for target practice. They were heading there after they gave Carol a few more minutes.

* * *

"We can hang targets along that fence line there." Shane said as they walked further into the open area. "That rise, it gives a natural backstop..It's a good idea."

"Thanks." Andrea said as they walked closer to the fence. "So how long before I can carry?"

Shane chuckled. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"I'm not in a very patient frame of mind these days, Shane. You mighta noticed that."

"No shit." He said, carrying his Mossberg in front of him. "Look, I ain't worried about you offin yourself, even though you got old Dale pissin his pants lately." Andrea looked at him. Shane laughed again. "Yeah, I noticed that, too."

Andrea smiled. "He did come within a minute or so of being blown to hell because of me, to be fair."

Shane stopped walking as he looked out over the area. Andrea stopped and turned to face him. "Look, I see you have the desire for gun work and desire will take you a long way." Shane said to her. "But somethin you need to know, so file this carefully."

"I'm listenin."

"Paper targets is one thing. Easy to hit what ain't movin. But taking down an assailant, one that's tryin to kill you, it's- it's different." He raised his eyebrows as he started walking again. "Cause they say in that kind of situation things slow down. That's crap. They speed up. Adrenaline, haha. It'll cripple you if ya let it." He said as they walked closer to the fence, Carol stood a few feet behind them. "You need to use your instinct. Ya gotta- gotta rule it out." He said as he leaned his shotgun up against the fence post and rested his hands on the fence, Andrea doing the same beside him. "Because somebody is gonna die..and you'd better hope that you're the one who's makin that decision."

"How? I mean, how do you do that?" Andrea asked him. He wasn't looking at her anymore. He was staring at the ground in front of him.

"Turn off a switch. **Thee** switch..The one that makes you scared or angry, sympathetic, whatever. You don't think. You just- you act." Andrea nodded as he struggled with the visions his mind was playing for him, ghosts from the night before poking at his conscience. "Cause odds are somebody else is countin on you. That's your partner. That's your friend..There ain't nothin easy about takin a man's life no matter how little value it may have...But when you get it done, you have to forget it." He paused for a minute, looking out at the tall grass ahead of them. He chuckled to himself a little. "I guess I haven't quite got that last part down yet, so.." He hung his head.

"But you're getting there?" Andrea gave him a smile.

He looked over at her. "I hope so." He nodded his head, sniffling, trying to repress the guilty tears that were trying to escape. He pushed against the fence. "It's a good spot." He said as he slapped his hand against it. He picked up his shotgun. "It'll do."

* * *

Glenn had listened to the clapping of the horse's hooves on the road for the last few minutes and couldn't take the silence anymore as he kept stealing glances at the pretty stranger accompanying him.

"You know, normally, uh, this is the kinda thing I do on my own.** Solo**." He laughed. Maggie grimaced at his attempt at small talk. "It's sort of my thing, you know? I'm a loner." He finished, waiting for her to talk to him. She hadn't said a word since they'd left the farm. She kept her eyes on the road in front of them as they entered the town. "You all right?" Glenn asked.

"I'm fine."

Glenn didn't have much experience with women, but he knew enough to tell all was **not** 'fine'. "I saw the look on your face..back at the well...Never seen one killed up close before?" Glenn looked at the back of her head for a reply as he followed her horse towards the pharmacy. She didn't answer again. In all honesty, it was the first she had seen killed at all. "Guess it's kind of a shock...You know, being out on the road, we've seen a lot. Guess we've gotten a little numb to it." Glenn furrowed his brow.

"Whoa." Maggie pulled the reins, bringing her horse to a stop. "I guess so." She said to Glenn as she got off her horse. He followed her example as she started tying the reins around the pole that held up the awning above the pharmacy.

**TAKE WHAT YOU NEED AND GOD BLESS**

The cardboard sign in the pharmacy's window read. Glenn took a moment to look at the kind note before following Maggie to the door.

The pharmacy was a mess inside, but at least it didn't smell like death like most of the buildings they'd been to. Most of the shelves were empty, but there were still various items lying all over the place.

"I'll go see what antibiotics are left." Maggie said as she turned to face Glenn as he shut the door behind them. "What else is on the list?"

"Uh..." Glenn reached into his back pocket and grabbed the two pieces of paper he had with him. He handed Maggie the list from the group as he held Lori's tight in his hand. "Why don't you get started?" He said as she took the folded paper from him.

"What about you?" She looked up at him as she unfolded the paper, reading a few of the first lines of text.

"Uh, I'm gonna..look around, see what's worth grabbing." He gestured around the building as she looked at the paper in his hand. "Just some general stuff." He said as he walked next to the door to grab a small hand basket.

Maggie turned around and went to the back of the pharmacy to get the antibiotics they'd come for before getting what she could on the group's list. Glenn watched her walk away before he unfolded Lori's note again. _True Blue. _He read, as he looked at the small signs above the shelves, not having to look long before finding the one that read "Feminine Hygiene' on the top. He walked in front of the shelf, glancing to the back to make sure Maggie was out of sight before he put his bag down and knelt down on the ground. He started grabbing the boxes and bottles of products that were still there. _Baby Shampoo._ He read as he turned a bottle around. _Don't need that._ He put it back on the floor, reaching for a box on the shelf. _Tampons._ He quickly put the box back down, nervously looking around, although Maggie was still gone.

He looked at the products on the floor and the shelf, quickly scanning through the names he saw, not seeing what he was looking for. He looked at the floor one last time, seeing a box he'd missed, being flustered in the position he was in. It was never this awkward when he went by himself. He didn't want Maggie to turn up, catching him snooping through the women's things, and more importantly, tell her whatever the hell it was he was looking for. It was supposed to stay between he and Lori. He grabbed the purple box, bypassing it before since he was looking for something with the word 'Blue' in it's title. As he held the box up and looked at the picture on the front, he forgot where he was for a moment, a look of realization playing on his features. _A pregnancy test?_ They could hardly keep track of themselves, day to day, and she thought she might be pregnant?

Maggie was putting bottles of antibiotics into her bag as she walked towards the front of the store again. "Whatcha got?" She said as she walked up behind Glenn, her view obstructed from the angle he was kneeling.

"Uhh.." Glenn quickly glanced behind him at her, he was so lost in thought he hadn't heard her walk up to him. "Um.." He shoved the pregnancy test in his bag as he fumbled around for anything to grab. "Nothing. Just," He said as he got to his feet with an unknown box in his hands, "like I said, general stuff." He turned to face her as he turned the box in his hands over to see just what it was he was holding.

"Condoms?" Maggie looked from the box to him. Glenn let out a quick, nervous breath. "You got a girlfriend I don't know about?"

"M-Me? No. No." He said, looking between the box and her. _Of all the things I could've grabbed.__.._

"Then you're a pretty confident guy." Maggie raised her eyebrows. She was waiting for the 'it's just for the other guys at camp' explanation she was expecting, but it never came.

Glenn looked at her. He wasn't sure what to say as he fumbled with the box in his hands. He finally put it on the shelf next to them. "No..No, no, no. I-I-I wasn't- I would never-"

"Somethin wrong with me?" Maggie asked, innocently. She kind of liked seeing how nervous and embarrassed he was getting.

"No." Glenn said with a higher voice, like it was obvious. "No, I-I-" Glenn shook his head as he nervously laughed. She smiled, looking at the box again. "I would never have sex-" Glenn closed his eyes for a moment, the more he tried to talk, the worse it was getting. "Uh, I-I'm- I'm lost. I'm-" He swallowed.

Maggie stared at him for a second. "I'll have sex with you." She said, very matter-of-factly.

Glenn blinked, not sure if he heard her right. "Really? ..Why?"

"You're asking questions?" She said, playing the the bag's strap on her shoulder.

"Okay, I can't help wondering."

"It's not like our options are vast these days." She said as she took the bag off, dropping it lightly on the floor next to them. She reached up and took off her brown cowgirl hat, lying it on top of the bag. She tucked her hair behind her ear as she stepped closer to him, grabbing the rim of his baseball cap. She took it off and laid it on the shelf beside them as she gave him a small smile. Her eyes traveled down his smooth face to his lips as she leaned in closer, placing a light kiss on them before pulling back. "And you're not the only one that's lonely."

They stared at each other for a second as Maggie took a step back. She kept her eyes locked with his as her fingers found the bottom of her shirt, lifting it over her head. She let it fall to the floor as she reached behind her to undo the clasp on her bra.

Glenn tried his hardest to keep his eyes on hers, but the second she took her bra off, his eyes traveled down. He laughed nervously as he peeled his eyes away from her. "Wow." He smiled once he found her face again. He couldn't believe this was happening.

She smiled and grabbed the box of condoms he'd laid down, holding them in front of her as she stared at him, expectantly.

He glanced at the box in her hands then back up to the half naked girl. "Oh." He breathed, grabbing the edge of his shirt and quickly yanking it from his body. He threw it on the floor next to him as he faced her. She gave him a comforting smile as he nervously stepped forward, her hands going to his shoulders as his found her face.

* * *

Hershel and Rick had returned from their little excursion, and were walking towards the house when they stopped at the front steps. They both turned to look across the yard where the group had set up camp. Shane was by the fire they'd started with a pot of beans, laying it on the rocks next to it to let them heat up. Carol and T-Dog were sitting in a couple of lawn chairs as Carol cleaned T-Dog's wound and changed his bandage. They weren't looking over their shoulders with worried faces like they had been when they were sleeping out in the open, before.

"You need to reconsider." Rick said, turning his head slightly to address the man behind him.

"I beg your pardon?" Hershel said.

"Askin us to leave. You need to reconsider." Rick turned around to look him in the eyes. Hershel didn't answer him. "If you saw how it is out there you wouldn't ask...You're a man of belief. If you believe anything, believe that."

"You're puttin me on the spot." Hershel pulled his eyebrows together.

"Well, I mean to." Rick nodded his head as he took a couple steps closer. "Those people look to me for answers." He said as he held his arm out and pointed in the direction of the camp. "I wish they didn't, but they do. But I-I'm not askin for them or myself." He looked towards the house for a second before he continued. "I'm askin for my boy. After the price your friend Otis paid, the least you can do is give it some thought."

"You're a plainspoken man."

"I'm a father." Rick said. He walked closer to the brick steps leading to the porch. "He's the one thing I don't wanna fail." Rick said, sitting down as he reached them. He rested his elbows on his knees and linked his hands together. "I feel like I do everyday." he said as he looked up at Hershel before turning his eyes to the ground in front of him. "I lied to him this morning...Wasn't a big lie, but it was enough."

Hershel put one of his legs on the steps as he leaned against his cane. He watched the steps as he talked. "My father didn't bother with comforting lies. He used his fist. He was a loveless, violent drunk and no good to anybody. He drove me from home when I was 15. Didn't lay eyes on this place again for many years." He said as he looked from Rick to the house. "I was not at his deathbed, Rick. I would not grant him that and to this day do not regret it. Some men do not earn the love of their sons." Hershel leaned his cane on the steps as he turned and sat down next to Rick. "I don't see you having that problem."

"Will you consider my request?"

"There are aspects to this, things that I can't and won't discuss. But if you and your people respect my rules, no promises, but I will consider it. You have my word."

Rick nodded as the two of them stood up. "You have mine." Rick said as he shook Hershel's hand.

* * *

Kat, Daryl and Sam were making their way over to the little camp as they saw Dylan walking towards them.

"Oh, Christ." Dylan sighed as soon as he saw Sam walking up to him with Kat.

"Yeah, sorry I didn't tell you..He went with me. Then we..ran into Daryl." Kat looked at Sam with a smile, spreading one on his face. He half expected Kat to tell Dylan he'd snuck off. But he was sure the kind gesture came with a silent warning.

"Yeah, he said he thought he saw Sam go with you, but you know." Dylan shrugged his shoulders. "I just, wasn't sure." He shook his head. "You want help with that?" He tilted his head to the couple rabbits Daryl was carrying and eyed the flower Kat had in her hands suspiciously.

"We got it." Kat said. She put her hand on Sam's shoulder, pushing him gently to the boy's tent. "Go change into something a little more clean." Sam rolled his eyes but walked to his tent with Dylan.

Kat followed Daryl to his tent at the edge of the group while he leaned inside to go grab something from his bag.

"Umm..Are we cleaning them **in** your tent?" Kat raised her eyebrows and laughed a little, not sure what he was doing. He already had his knife on him. He pulled out a bottle of beer.

Daryl shrugged his shoulders when he saw her eyebrows pull together. "Need somethin to put that in." He tilted his head to the flower in her hands.

"Ah." She nodded as she pulled her Silver Trident she used for hunting out and they walked behind his tent, to shield themselves from the others. Kat was used to it, but she knew the sight of something being gutted could definitely chase away one's appetite. She sat down on the dirt behind the nylon wall, spreading her legs out and bending them at the knees in front of her while Daryl plopped down beside her. He handed her a rabbit then took the cap off the beer in his other hand. He took a couple big swigs before he put it down between them and grabbed his Busse.

* * *

He was kind of liking this. He remembered the times in camp before she came along. The other women would see him cleaning **their** dinner, but instead of being thankful, they would put their hand over their mouth, turn and walk the other way.

She didn't make a face, complain or stop the whole time they were cleaning the rabbit's he'd got, and she was actually a little faster than he was. Her cuts were quick and sure. Why the hell was he getting a little turned on? Just like the time he'd seen her at the Robertson's store when she'd gotten back from hunting with her brothers. This girl had no problem getting down and dirty with the boys. He shook his head as his thoughts started to get away from him. Kat took her eyes off her work to glance at him when he cleared his throat before he took another swig from the beer, almost gone now.

"Ew." She laughed a little as she shook her head at him. He looked at her, confused. "How can you drink that warm?"

"Not so bad." He shrugged his shoulders, giving her that familiar half smile she'd liked from the first time she saw it, months ago.

"Ugh. I always had to have mine cold. That's gross." She laughed again.

"Says the girl with rabbit's blood all over her hands an a pile a guts next to her." Daryl raised his eyebrows, draining the last of the beer into his mouth. She just shook her head with a smile as they started to get up. He leaned over to grab the bag they'd been putting the entrails in, they'd bury it later.

The two of them walked to the well near the house with a bucket and towels to clean their hands off with. They did so mostly in silence, stealing a few glances at each other every now and then.

"Old Man Robertson teach you everythin?" Daryl said when they were almost done.

Kat assumed he was talking about her game-cleaning experience. "Yeah..Jason too, but it was mostly Phil..Always said he 'didn't want no sissy girl in the family'..He sorta treated me like a daughter." She laughed. "Guess he kinda got what he wanted." She held up her other hand, her fingers still a little bloody. "Him and Kay didn't have a daughter, all boys..And I come from a family of boys, so, I guess being kind of a tomboy was in the cards." She shrugged.

Daryl looked at his hands while he wiped them off. "Ya ain't **all **rough." He thought back to the times he'd seen her dressed up, heels, and with makeup on. The lipstick kiss she'd left him on a napkin with her number one night. He licked his lips unconsciously while he thought back to the night she was dancing up on the bar with her friend. The action didn't go unnoticed by Kat. He threw the rag in the bucket before he pumped the well's handle again, filling the beer bottle with a little water.

Kat chuckled. "I have my moments..Let's head back." She tilted her head in the direction of their camp.

Daryl plucked a piece of the tall, tasseled prairie grass and put it in his mouth as they walked back, chewing the part in his mouth like gum. Kat glanced over after a few seconds, seeing him take it out, flip it to the other end, and put it back in. She raised her eyebrows a bit when she saw a knot in the stem on the end that had been in his mouth a minute ago.

"Did you do that with your tongue?" Kat said before she could stop herself.

Daryl took the piece of grass out of his mouth, holding up the end. "Yeah..Why?" He'd been able to do that since he was a kid, it was nothing new to him.

She just shook her head and laughed as they kept walking. It was Kat's turn to clear her throat this time. He looked at her, a little confused, for a few seconds before it clicked. _Ohh.._Daryl thought as he looked at her again. At least he wasn't the only one whose thoughts got away from him sometimes. It made him a little giddy, knowing she may have been thinking about him like he'd thought about her. He smirked as he put the blade of grass back in his mouth. Try as she might, Kat couldn't stop thinking about his tongue the rest of their walk back to camp.

They got to the picnic table in front of the fire as Daryl set the beer bottle down. Kat smiled at it. _The Dixon touch._ She thought. _Who knew a beer bottle would make a nice vase?_

* * *

Glenn was smiling from ear to ear as he and Maggie rode up to the house on the horses. Maggie glanced at him, a blank expression on her face, trying to give nothing away of what they just did, but he wasn't getting the hint.

"I-" Glenn started.

"Don't spoil it." Maggie said.

"So it **was** good." He smiled wider.

"It was a one-time thing." She said. Maybe that would tone him down a bit, because the giant smile he wore was going to give them away to somebody.

They got off their horses, Maggie leaving Glenn to tie them to the tree while she took the supplies into the house. She would take them back to the stables when she was done. Her father, seeing them return, met her before the steps.

"Everything go okay?" He asked as he approached.

"Fine." She nodded her head as she stopped in front of him with a smile, the bag over her shoulder again. "Nothin happened." She shrugged her shoulders as she started walking to the house. Hershel turned to Glenn and gave him a nod for going with her before he turned and followed after her.

Lori, who had also seen them coming back, was now down the stairs and making a beeline to Glenn. She gave Hershel and Maggie a quick smile as she passed them. She lowered her voice a bit as she got closer. "Did ya find it?" She stopped in front of him and started biting at her nail.

Glenn looked like a scolded child as he took the book bag off his back. He held it in front of him as he reached into the front of the backpack and pulled out a small white paper bag he'd managed to snag before he and Maggie left the pharmacy. He handed it out to her and she quickly took it, bringing it behind her back and tucking it into her waistband. Lori looked at him with pleading eyes, begging him not to open his mouth about what she'd asked him to get. Neither one said anything as Glenn walked past her. She had, in a way, confided in him. He would keep his mouth shut for her.

* * *

Daryl left Kat at the fire to start on the rabbits as he picked the beer bottled flower up off the table and walked to the RV. He opened the door as he stepped inside, looking around. It was a lot tidier than the last time he'd been in here the night before. The dishes were clean and neatly stacked by the sink and there were no sleeping bags or clothes laying out. He wiggled the blade of grass he was still chewing on with his tongue as he slowly made his way to the back of the RV.

He turned himself sideways as he stood in the opening that separated the small hall way from the back room of the RV, shielding the flower in his hand from Carol's view as he looked in at her. She was sitting on one of the seats in the back.

She glanced up from her work when his form filled the doorway. "I cleaned up..Wanted it to be nice for her." She said as she continued to mend the hole in the blanket in her hands.

Daryl nodded, looking back at the sink before he turned towards her again. "For a second I thought I was in the wrong place." Carol smiled up at him before going back to the blanket, sticking the needle into the fabric again.

Daryl watched her for a second before leaning over and placing the flower on the small counter next to the door. At the sound of the glass bottle being placed on the hard surface, Carol looked up, furrowing her brow a bit before her face softened again. "A flower?"

Daryl took the piece of grass from his mouth with his hand, pointing towards the beer bottle with it before he let his hands rest at his sides. "It's a Cherokee Rose." Daryl lowered his voice as he watched her look from him to the flower. She recognized it, but didn't understand. He took a small step into the room as he looked at the flower again before turning to her. "The-The story is that when American soldiers were movin Indians off their land, on the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee mothers were grievin and cryin so much cause they were losin their little ones along the way, from exposure and disease, and starvation. A lot of em just disappeared. So the elders, they said a prayer; asked for a sign to uplift the mother's spirits, give em strength..Hope." Carol looked at the flower again, vaguely aware of the blanket in her hands as she looked back at him. "The next day this rose started to grow right where the mother's tears fell." Daryl looked down at the grass in his hands as he started fiddling with it. "I'm not..fool enough to think there's any flowers bloomin for my brother." Carol wiped the tears that slipped from her eyes away as she looked at him. "But I- I believe this one," Daryl titled his head to the flower, looking at it before he turned back to her, "bloomed for your little girl."

Carol smiled as she looked away from him, willing herself not to cry more, but knew it was a futile attempt. She met his eyes again before turning hers down to the blanket on her lap with a small laugh. She had never paid him much mind in camp before. He was always glued to his rude brother's side and didn't talk much. This is the most he'd spoken to her, directly, since they had met in the camp a few weeks ago, and the story behind the small gift, touched her.

Daryl pulled one side of his mouth up into a half smile before he let it fall again, but she hadn't seen it. She had her eyes glued to the blanket, trying to see the needle through blurred vision from the tears. Daryl looked at the flower again before he turned around and quietly walked to the front of the RV. He chewed on the inside of his lip as he stopped before the door, making Carol look up at him. "She's gonna really like it in here." He said to her, earning another smile. He looked down at the blade of grass he was still playing with as he opened the door and walked back over to Kat.

He told himself he'd look high and low to try and find that little girl. It's what he wanted for himself when a 7 year old Daryl was alone in the woods. No one looking for him. No one to even care. He'd find that little girl if it was the death of him.

* * *

Carl moved around in the bed as he started to wake up again. He'd been in and out of consciousness all day. He slowly blinked his eyes, opening them to the dim light in the room, searching for his parents. He looked to his side, seeing his father leaning back in a chair, barely awake. "Hey, Dad." He said with a quiet voice.

Rick rubbed at his eyes. "Hey." He gave him a sleepy smile Carl returned with one of his own. Rick cleared his throat as he sat up, resting his elbows on his knees. He looked down at his hands. "Carl,..I told you somethin earlier today about Sophia-" He said as he looked at him.

"I know. Mom told me."

Rick smiled. "Here I was gettin ready to confess...I didn't mean to lie. I just didn't wanna worry you. It's a stupid excuse but it's all I got." He shook his head.

"It's okay...Do you think we'll find her?"

"I know we will." Rick said, but looked back down at his hands as he thought about it for a second. _Lying again._ "Well.." He sighed. "I don't..**know**. But I truly believe it."

"You look tired." Carl said as he looked at his dad's face.

Rick chuckled. "**Am** tired."

Carl's eye's got wide as he realized something. "Hey, I'm like you now. We've both been shot." He smiled as his hand went to the bandage on his stomach. "Isn't that weird?" He laughed a bit with his father.

Rick nodded. "Yeah, I think your mother would rather hear we got the same eyes. So let's keep that between us." He said as he unpinned the badge from the hat in his hands. Carl laughed again as he looked at his father's hat. "Since you're in the club now, you get to wear the hat. Didn't you know?" Rick leaned forward, placing his sheriff's hat on the boy's head. Carl giggled as the brim kept covering his eyes due to the position he was in, lying on a couple pillows. He positioned the hat higher on his head so he could see his father.

"We'll pad the rim tomorrow so it sits better." Rick smiled, seeing it was far too big for his son's head.

Carl grabbed the brim again, looking up at it. "Won't you miss it?"

Rick looked away for a second. "Maybe you'll let me borrow it from time to time."

"We can share it." Carl nodded.

"Okay." Rick smiled at his son. "Sleep now." Rick said as he grabbed the blankets and pulled them up around Carl.

"Okay..I love you, Dad."

"I love you." Rick said once he sat back in his chair, again.

Carl sank further down on the pillows, letting the hat fall over his eyes to shield them from the light in the room as he drifted back off to sleep.

Rick stared down at the badge in his hands he'd taken off the hat. He wasn't still a sheriff, now. The world wasn't what it used to be. With every day that went by, hope that it would return to normal, slipped further away.

He got up from his seat and walked to the dresser in the room. He placed his badge on the wooden top as he unpinned his other badge from his shirt and placed it next to the other. Lori stood in the doorway as she watched him take off his uniform. He unbuttoned his brown shirt and untucked it from his pants, taking it off his shoulders. He brought it around to the front of him as he folded it up. He opened the top drawer of the dresser and laid the shirt inside, then grabbed his badges. He gently laid them on top of the shirt as he looked down at them. He glanced up to himself in the mirror that was attached to the dresser, finally noticing Lori standing in the doorway in the reflection.

She walked into the room and over to him, looking at a sleeping Carl on her way past. Lori came to stand behind Rick, as she helped him take his brown under-shirt off. She laid it on the dresser in front of them as they looked in the mirror. Her hand went to his side, where his own gunshot wound was, almost completely healed, now. The skin where the doctors had stitched him together, still pink, starting to form a scar. She looked at it in the mirror as he looked down at his uniform and badges.

"Are you puttin them away?" She whispered.

He looked back up at her in the mirror for a second before he slowly pushed the drawer closed. Lori wrapped her arms around him from behind, Rick resting his own over them as she laid her head on his shoulder. He leaned his own head back, resting it against hers as she placed light kisses up his neck.

"Stay with him a while longer. I'll wait up." She said, letting go of him as she walked out of the room.

Lori made her way out of the house and into the night, over towards their camp. Most of the group were either in their tents for the night or inside the RV finishing up their dinner. She stood amidst the tents surrounding her for a second as she took a deep breath. She pulled a switchblade out of her pocket and held it tightly in her hand. She could see Dale, Carol, Andrea and Dylan sitting at the table in the RV as she walked past. She walked out of the light coming from inside the RV and further into the field beyond their area, glancing behind her to make sure no one noticed.

She walked until she came to a log laying in the tall grass that would provide her with a little more privacy. She looked around her, making sure the immediate area was clear, from anything both living, or dead. She jammed the knife into the dead log as she reached behind her, pulling the bag from the waistband of her pants. She'd gotten rid of the box earlier, so the bag only contained the pregnancy test, itself. She threw the bag on the ground and pulled the cap off of the stick before she undid her belt and pants. She squatted down behind the log and held the absorbent tip under her.

It was the longest three minutes of her life as she sat there and counted in her head. She kept the pregnancy test facing down as she counted to herself. Once she got to 180, she flipped the test over and looked at the little indicator screen. She started taking short, quick breaths as she stared down at the little pink plus.

A part of her had hoped that her period was just late because of the stress they had all been under lately. But she pulled her eyebrows together as it confirmed her fears. It was positive. Lori held back a sob as she let the test fall from her hands. She looked around the ground in front of her, taking deep breaths as she tried to come to terms with everything this meant, but it was too overwhelming. She hung her head as she quietly let the tears fall from her eyes.


	16. Chapter 15: Chupacabra

_Thank you guys for all the follows, favorites and reviews. They make me want to write more ;) _

_If you have a friend that likes TWD fanfics and of course our favorite crossbow toting badass that only The Reedus can pull off, send em this way if you like this story! _

_**Tayler Snape13** & **PrincessPipi**: Thank you both and here you are :) Enjoy the next chapter! xo_

* * *

**Chupacabra**

Lori awoke the next day to the noise of activity buzzing around the camp, noting several people must've already been awake, if not all of them. She leaned over the cot to grab the clock, seeing it was late in the morning. She laid back on her pillow, putting her hands in her hair, wishing last night had been a bad dream. She rolled out of bed and slipped out of her night clothes, into something suitable for the day. When she was changed she walked outside and found herself sitting on the plastic tub of belongings by the Grimes' tent to put her boots on. She'd managed to keep the same 'house-rules' in their humble abode, even when they'd switched to living in tents. No shoes in the house.

"Morning." Dale gave her a smile as he walked by.

"Good mornin." She smiled back at him. She was a little embarrassed she had slept in.

She stood up after slipping her other boot on, a hand going to her lower back as she tried to rub the ache that was there, away. She walked over to the clothes line where she could already see Carol hanging up the damp garments. Dale was still keeping track of the days on his calendar, and they'd declared Wednesday's 'Laundry Day'.

"Can't believe I slept in." Lori said, touching Carol on the back apologetically as she past her.

"Well." Carol mumbled. "You must've needed it. Feelin all right?" Carol turned around to look at Lori after she'd hung up another shirt.

Lori was pulling clothes out of the basket to hang up. "Next time wake me, all right? Especially on laundry day." She said as she hung a shirt over her shoulder, filling her hands with more clothes. She felt bad knowing Carol had done all these by herself.

"I can manage." Carol said as she held up one of Dale's shirts to the clothesline. She didn't mind doing it herself. It had kept her working and her mind busy for a good while. "I had an idea I wanted to run by you."

"And what's that?" Lori asked, clipping one of Carl's shirts up on the other side of the clothesline.

"That big kitchen of theirs got me thinkin. I wouldn't mind cookin in a real kitchen again." Carol smiled, thinking back to the Greene's house she'd been in the day before when they'd arrived. "Maybe we all pitch in and cook dinner for Hershel and his family tonight...Kinda lookin for things to keep my mind occupied."

"Well, after everything they've done for us, seems like the least we could do."

"You mind extendin the invitation?" Carol said. Lori walked under the hanging clothes and over to the basket that was sitting on the picnic table. She looked at Carol, confused, as she went to grab more clothes. "Would just feel more right comin from you." Carol explained.

"How so?" Lori asked as she turned around, walking to the second clothes line, as they had filled the first one. The women were quickly realizing how many clothes you could fit in a dryer before all of this, compared to a clothesline between a couple of trees.

"Your Rick's wife..It sort of makes you our unofficial First Lady." Carol smiled.

"Mornin, guys. Let's get goin. We've got a lot of ground to cover." Lori looked over her shoulder at the sound of Rick's voice. He walked past the group members, map in hand, as Shane followed behind him. Lori turned back around with a smile on her face as she and Carol continued hanging clothes.

Today they planned on starting the search for Sophia. Andrea and T-Dog were sitting in the middle of camp, sorting through all the pieces of red, blue and yellow fabric they had cut into squares about the size of a bandana. Dale's wife had loved to sew, so she had plenty of spare fabric stocked in the RV. To untrained eyes, the forest could look the same everywhere you looked. They were going to use the colored fabric as markers for areas they had searched, as not to go through the same area twice.

"All right, everyone's getting new search grids today." Rick said as he laid the map out on the hood of Carol's Cherokee. He put a couple sticks on the top corners to hold it in place as the group that was going out, gathered around.

Andrea and T-Dog set the different colors of fabric in three different piles as Rick addressed the search group.

Kat watched as Daryl emerged from his tent in a, dirty, wife beater and carried a button up flannel in his hands towards the car. She gave him a smile as he got closer. He threw the shirt on the hood of the car as he bent over to put his crossbow down, leaning it against the front tire. He grabbed for his shirt as he straightened up. Kat took his distraction as a moment to glance at the skin she could see. His cut off flannels covered more of his upper body than the flimsy tank top he had on now. She pulled her eyebrows together, seeing several scars peeking out on his chest where his shirt dipped down. One stretched a few inches from above his arm pit to the middle of his chest, below his collarbone, on the right side of him. On the left, she could see a smaller one in about the same place..And those were just the ones she could see. She plastered a blank look on her face by the time he'd looked at her again.

"If she made it as far as the farmhouse Daryl and Kat found, she mighta gone further east than we've been so far." Rick said as he put his hands on the map.

Shane shook his head as he opened the passenger door of Carol's car and took a seat.

Daryl took the shirt in his hands and brought it behind him as he slipped one of his arms through the holes. He stretched his clothed arm in Kat's direction as he searched for the other sleeve behind him with his other arm. Kat tugged on the cuff of his outstretched wrist. "So you **do** still have a shirt with sleeves." She smiled at him.

"Got a couple." He smirked.

"I'd like to help." Beth's boyfriend, Jimmy, said as he walked up to them. Kat wasn't really sure of the story behind them from what she'd gotten from Dylan and Dylan sure as hell didn't care. Jimmy had his hands in his pockets as he looked at Rick.

"I know the area pretty well and stuff." Jimmy said when he got closer, the group looking at him.

"Hershel's okay with this?" Rick asked.

"Yeah, yeah." Jimmy said quickly. "Uh, he said I should ask you."

"All right then." Rick nodded. "Thanks."

Kat looked back at Daryl as he started buttoning his shirt, leaving the first couple undone, before rolling her eyes once Shane started talking.

"Nothin about what Daryl found screams Sophia to me." He said from his seat in the car. He wasn't even facing them. "Anyone coulda been holed up in that farmhouse."

Andrea saw Kat roll her eyes at him. "Anybody includes her, right?" The blond said, making Shane look at her.

Daryl scratched his nose as he looked from Shane to Andrea. "Well, whoever slept in that cupboard was no bigger than yay-high." He said, holding his hand out a few inches below Kat's head, before he went back to finish buttoning his shirt. He glanced over at her as he did the last few buttons. She was a few inches shy of being a whole foot shorter than him, coming up to his shoulders. He didn't think he'd ever get used to how tiny she was. She was the shortest person he knew aside from the kids they had had in camp. _But she ain't no kid._ He thought as his eyes traveled down, seeing her black t-shirt hugging her body. _Quite nicely._

"Good lead." Andrea nodded at him.

"Maybe we'll pick up her trail again." Rick said.

"No maybe about it." Daryl said as he leaned over the map, pointing. "I'm gonna borrow a horse, head up to this ridge right here, get a bird's-eye view of the whole grid. If she's up there, I'll spot her." Kat nodded at him as her eyes zoned in on his chest again, although she couldn't see the scars anymore, covered by his flannel. She couldn't stop. She knew they were there. And she wanted to know who did that to him.

He hadn't seen her eying him before, but he'd caught her this time. The way her eyes fell right where he knew they were under his shirt, no doubt she'd seen them. He knew he should've just put his shirt on in the damn tent. He was in a rush to get out there and see** her** though, before everyone went their separate ways. His hands went to the few buttons at the top of his shirt he'd left undone as he tried to nonchalantly, button them.

Dale put himself between Kat and Daryl as he put the gun bag down on the hood of the car.

"Good idea." T-Dog said as he looked at Daryl from his spot between he and Rick. "Maybe you'll see your Chupacabra up there, too."

"Chupacabra?" Risk raised his eyebrows as Jimmy smiled. Kat pulled her eyebrows together, bringing her lips into her mouth as she held them shut, trying not to giggle. She'd loved watching shows about cryptozoology or the paranormal, her friends would tease her about it. But she'd even heard Jase talking about something strange he'd seen in the woods or around the house a few times. It made her want to laugh thinking back to all of that and hearing the same from Daryl.

"What, you never heard this?" Dale said, looking at Rick as he started unzipping the bag. Daryl looked at the old man, fidgeting, before glancing at Kat, though she was obstructed by Dale. _Thankfully._ She thought. "Our first night in camp, Daryl tells us that the whole thing reminds him of a time when he went squirrel hunting and he saw a Chupacabra." Dale raised his eyebrows as he put one of the shotguns on the car hood. Daryl nodded.

Jimmy laughed and Kat knew the corners of her mouth were curling up as she bit her lips together, so she rested her fingers over her mouth.

"What are you brayin at, jackass?" Daryl said as he looked at Jimmy. _Yep._ Kat thought. _Thank you, Dale._

"So you believe in a blood-sucking dog?" Jimmy asked with a smile.

"Do you believe dead people walkin around?" Daryl countered.

"He's got a point." Kat smiled as she crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged her shoulders.

Rick just glanced between the two with a bewildered look on his face as Jimmy reached forward for the shotgun Dale had placed on the car.

"Hey, hey." Rick grabbed the gun from him. "Ever fire one before?"

"Well, if I'm goin out, I want one." Jimmy said as he looked from Rick to the gun.

Daryl leaned down, picking his Horton up and swinging it over his shoulder. "Yeah, and people in hell want Slurpees." He said, hearing Kat chuckle before he walked away and towards the stables. Jimmy turned to go back to the house.

"Why don't you come train tomorrow?" Shane said as he got up from his seat in Carol's car, once again donning his 'Police' cap. "If you're serious, I'm a certified instructor."

"For now he can come with us." Andrea turned to look at the young man before looking at Shane.

"He's yours to babysit then." Shane watched her walk around the car to grab her gun out of the bag. Dylan and Kat already had theirs as the rest of them got their weapons.

"All right, Andrea, T-Dog, I want you here and going in this direction." Rick pointed at the map and ran his finger in a sweeping motion over the grid he'd drawn out last night. "Shane and I will go here. Dylan and Kat, I want you two over here." Rick looked around after he pointed out where they would start. Everyone nodded. "Grab what you need and meet back here in 10. We'll head out."

* * *

Glenn sat in one of the rocking chairs on the front porch of the Greene's house, lightly strumming the guitar Dale had brought back from the highway when the front screen door opened. He looked up when Maggie came outside. She looked over at him, giving him a smile as she closed the door. Glenn stood up and walked closer to her with a smile as she leaned against the siding of the house.

"Nice guitar." She said, resting her hands on the back of her hips.

He looked down at it, patting the wooden body of it with his hand that wasn't holding the neck. "Dale found it on the highway." Glenn said. Maggie gave him a nod as she looked down at it. He looked over his shoulder over at the camp before turning back to her. "You know, we uh, still have 11 condoms." He raised his eyebrows.

Maggie smiled at him. "Yeah, you see 11 condoms, I see 11 minutes of my life I'm never gettin back." She glanced down at him before reaching his eyes again.

He chuckled a little though his smile fell. "It wasn't that bad, was it?"

"Look, I don't even know if I like you." She shook her head.

"But you're thinkin about it." Glenn said as he leaned up against the house next to her. "You should." He raised his eyebrows.

Maggie just smiled as she leaned off the house and walked down the stairs. She looked back at him over her shoulder as she walked away.

* * *

Kat watched Daryl as he lifted the saddle onto the rack before he unlatched the door of the stall in front of him. He hadn't heard her walk to the stables and still hadn't realized she was there. She walked into the building, knocking on the wooden wall of one of the stalls she passed as she got closer. He looked up at her as he led the horse from it's enclosure and tied it to the wooden post.

She gave him a smile as she leaned her shoulder against the stall, crossing her arms over her chest as the the horse's head came between then. She pet it's nose as she looked at Daryl. "Going out by yourself?" She asked. She already knew the answer. He didn't talk to many other people in the group. She'd figured that much out in the week she'd been with them. _And what an eventful week it'd been._

He nodded his head as he turned around and lifted the saddle from the rack, coming back to put it on the horse. He bent down and reached under the horse to grab the strap before standing up again. He didn't know what to say to her. Should he say something about the scars? Because there was no doubt she'd seen them. It'd only been the two he had on his chest that were visible because of his tank top, not enough to warrant an explanation, he thought. _Those could be from anythin..._ Still, he felt a little uneasy about her seeing them. Even though the couple she'd seen, were nothing compared to what he was actually hiding. She wasn't going to ask was she? Is that why she's here? He didn't want her to know how fucked up his past was just yet.

"I'd go with you, but..Rick wants me and Dylan out in the woods with em." She said as she ran her hand down the horse's muscular neck.

"Who's all goin?" He asked, more to keep the conversation going than anything as he tied the reins onto the horse's halter. He wanted to talk to her a little bit before they parted ways.

"Well, me, Dylan. Rick and Shane. Then Andrea and T-Dog. Those are the groups he's got us in..Oh, and, uh, Jimmy. He's going with Andrea and Dog, I guess." Kat said, going from leaning on her shoulder against the stall to her back, putting her arms behind her and linking her fingers together.

Daryl scoffed a little with a smirk. "He was shootin daggers at Dylan."

Kat chuckled. "Yeah, I don't think he likes him all too well. Guess Beth was paying a little more attention to him than Jimmy liked." Kat shook her head.

Daryl walked around the horse to tie the reins to the other side of the halter as Kat stepped out of his way.

"Well, I better go. Rick said 10 minutes." Kat said from behind him.

Daryl turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. "All right." He mumbled as he turned back to the horse.

"Be careful out there." She said, she put her hand on his tense shoulder and gave it a squeeze as she turned and walked away.

He looked down at her hand when she touched him, but it was gone as fast as it appeared. By the time he turned around and looked at her, she was by the door. He looked from her to the reins in his hand. "Yeah, you too."

"See you later." She nodded before she turned and walked out of the stables and back towards the camp. He pulled the side of his mouth up as he started untying the horse from the post. No one ever cared for his well-being.

* * *

Shane was nailing a piece of red fabric to the tree in front of him as Rick looked around the area they were in with the Remington 870 Wingmaster in his hands. Shane hung the hatchet off his belt as Rick walked past him. He picked up his Mossberg he had leaning against the tree and started following after him.

They continued the next few minutes, neither of them saying anything. Rick could just feel the tension coming off of Shane and he didn't like it. "You remember the name of that waitress at the Dairy Queen when we were in high school?" Rick asked, looking back at him as they kept walking. Shane just looked at him for a second before Rick chuckled a bit. "I know you, Shane, well enough to know that there is only one sure-fire way of engagin you in a conversation, and that is to start askin you about girls you did in high school. I don't want to, but I'm willin to do it if that's what it takes." Rick looked back at him again as they continued.

Shane smirked as he looked around the forest. "Maryanne..I told you about her?"

"Oh, in excruciatin detail."

"Excruciatin, my ass..You used to live for those details back in the day." Shane said as he walked several feet to Rick's side. Widening their search area a bit.

"Yeah, I was impressionable." Rick smiled towards him as Shane laughed. "And I may have been livin vicariously through you."

"Why wouldn't you, with my impressive list of accomplishments? I was an artist in his prime. A protégé."

"You mean prodigy."

"Maybe." Shane shrugged his shoulders. "Is prodigy what you call a young high school stud that bangs 30-year-olds on the regular?" He smiled.

"What 30-year-old were you bangin in high school?" Rick laughed.

Shane took his hat off as he followed Rick, with a smug look on his face. "The PE Teacher."

"Mr. Daniel?" Rick turned to look at him as he pulled his eyebrows together before turning back around with a smile.

"Mrs. Kelly." Shane raised his eyebrows.

Rick chuckled as he turned back to look at his friend. "The girls' volleyball coach? Wasn't she married?"

"C'mon." Shane laughed with him.

"You know what I just remembered? Why I never ask you about this stuff."

"Why don't we talk about your high school love life then, huh?" Shane said as he stopped on a small rise to look out over the forest in front of them.

"Well, that's a short conversation. It may even already be over."

"That right?" Shane chuckled as he walked by him. "There was Holly, right?...**Nope**, that was me, too." He chuckled as he put his hat back on. Rick shook his head with a smile. "Then there was Sheila. That's the one you **lied** to me about."

Rick turned around to look at Shane briefly, defending himself, before walking again. "I never lied about Sheila. I just- I just got mixed up about what the bases meant."

Shane laughed. "Ah well, just so you know, a home run, that usually means a sexual act." He said, banging his hand on the stock of his gun as he made grunting sounds. "Like, that's intercourse. You know what I'm sayin?"

Rick chuckled. "Yeah, I-I realize that now."

"I think what you did was more like a ground rule double or somethin."

"I'm aware of the judge's ruling." Rick said as they quieted down.

Shane sighed as he looked around them, all traces of the fun, light-hearted, teasing conversation they'd been having, gone. "Shouldn't be talkin about this stuff." He said as Rick slowed down, letting Shane walk past him. "That life, it's gone and everyone in it...Sheila..Maryanne. Mrs. Kelly..It's like we're old folk. All the people in our stories are all dead."

"We can't just forget em." Rick said as he walked behind him.

"The hell we can't...It's hard enough acceptin what's happened without diggin up the past." Shane took off his hat again as they walked. "I'll tell ya what it is. It's a nostalgia. It's- It's like a drug. Keeps you from seein things the way they are. And that's a danger. You got people dependin on you."

"You think I don't know that?" Rick asked as they both stopped.

Shane turned and looked at him, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know..What are we doin?" Shane held his hands out at his sides, looking around them, his shotgun and hat in either hand. "You got every able body at your disposal out scouring these woods for a little girl we both know is likely dead."

"You think we should abandon the search?"

"It's not my call, is it?" Shane said as he put his hat back on his head and started walking away.

"I'm asking." Rick said. "I'm asking." He repeated when Shane said nothing, as he followed him.

"Survival, Rick. It means makin hard decisions. But you've- you've got this knack, man. You spread us thinner and thinner. I'm tryin to save lives here and you're out savin cats from trees." Shane said as he raised his voice.

"Is that what you think Sophia is, a cat in a tree?" Rick pulled his eyebrows together as he quickly caught up with Shane, who stopped, turning around to look at him, removing his cap once again. A nervous habit.

"Don't do that, man. Don't twist my words." He raised his eyebrows. "How many times we get called up to look for a missin child, man? You got 72 hours. 72 hours, and after that you're lookin for a body. And that was before." Rick nodded his head slightly. Shane put a mocking smile on his face. "I mean you honestly think we just gonna find Sophia **alive**?"

"Are you that sure we wont?" Rick asked, taking a couple steps closer to him.

Shane put his weight on his other leg as his ankle started to hurt. "We bein completely honest?"

"Well, I'm countin on you to be." Rick nodded with a furrowed brow.

Shane raised his eyebrows. "It's math, man." He shook his head as he looked around the trees surrounding them. "Alive or not, Sophia, she only matters to the degree in which she don't drag the rest of us down." Shane chuckled when Rick stepped back, an annoyed look on his face. "Thought you wanted honest." He turned and took a few steps away as Rick watched him. He swung his shotgun at a bush in front of him out of frustration before turning back to Rick. "If we'd just moved on, man, we'd be halfway to Fort Benning right now and Carl wouldn't have gotten shot." He shouted as Rick got uneasy, realizing he was right. "You said so yourself. But we're out here, we're riskin lives. Your own son almost died, man. Otis, he paid that bill. What the hell are we still doin this for?!"

Rick walked up to him, gesturing to himself. "I had her in my hands, Shane. She looked in my eyes and trusted me. I- I failed her. If I hadn't, she wouldn't be out here. I think she's still alive and I'm not gonna- I'm not just gonna write her off."

Shane looked away, towards the tree a few feet ahead of them as he scoffed at it, causing Rick to turn and look. "It's blue." Shane said, as they looked at the fabric nailed to the tree. "It's Andrea and T-Dog..Looks like we wandered into their grid." He said, then walked away. Leaving Rick to look at the fabric before following after him.

* * *

In another part of the forest, far away from the others, the woods were quiet other than the sounds of the leaves being swayed by the wind, the cicadas and birds. And the sound Daryl's arrow made as it pinned a squirrel to a tree, killing it instantly.

He put his crossbow back behind him, the strap coming across his chest as he steered the horse closer to the tree. He grabbed his arrow, pulling it from the bark with the squirrel on the end as the horse walked by. He held his arrow in the hand he had the reins in as he pulled the dead squirrel from it's tip. The horse continued walking as Daryl reached behind him, trying to push the squirrel through the space between his belt and pants to hold it there. He reached behind him and put his last arrow back in the crossbow's quiver as they kept walking.

He led the horse down a slight hill that would overlook the creek. "Whoa." He said as he pulled back on the reins, seeing something that didn't belong.

He got down from the horse, tying the rope he had around the saddle's horn to a tree when they came to a stop. He walked further down the hill by himself to get a better look at the object. t was too steep for the large horse to walk here. _A doll._ Sophia's doll. It was lying in the middle of the shallow creek, resting against a fallen log in the mud. Daryl lifted the strap from his crossbow over his head, bringing the Horton around to the front of him before he made his way down the steep embankment.

Water splashed up his calves as he drug his feet through the shallow water of the creek, over to the doll. His eyes searched the wet ground around it, looking for footprints but not seeing any. His brain started sifting through how the doll could have gotten there. She might have dropped it further down the creek, the current washing it up this way and it got stuck when the shallow water met the log. Secondly, it could've been there for awhile and the flowing creek water washed the footprints away. Either way, he leaned over and picked it up once he was close enough, water dripping from the soaked yarn that made up it's brown hair. Daryl looked down at the weathered toy in his hands before looking all around him.

He took a few steps back toward the embankment. "Sophia!" He shouted as he stood in the middle of the creek. He waited a few seconds, looking around, listening, for any sort of reply. But when nothing but the sound of flowing water, birds and frogs played back to him, he started up the embankment again. He shoved the doll under his belt, next to the squirrel, before he got back on the horse at the top.

Daryl was steering the horse further along the path he'd been on, his eyes constantly searching the creek below for any signs of Sophia. They came to a small opening where several crows were feasting on a dead rabbit. At the sight of the horse they screeched and flew away, making Daryl's horse a little jumpy as she scooted back and started to fidget beneath him.

"Whoa. Easy, easy." He said in a low voice as he pulled her reins a little to steady her. He looked around them, seeing the birds had perched themselves in a tree not far from them, waiting for them to leave so they could continue their meal. "Come on." Daryl looked down towards the horse, giving her a gentle kick to get her moving as he made a kissing sound.

They continued walking above the embankment, the horse turning her head at every sound, Daryl having to coax her to keep going several times. They came up to an area that was slightly more clear of trees while Daryl kept his eyes on the creek. Neither of them saw rattlesnake in the middle of their path. As they got closer the snake hissed, quickly slithering past them from it's resting spot. The quick movement and noise from the other animal, once again, spooked the horse, causing her to get more and more frightened as the snake came closer to them on it's way back into the forest. She whinnied and reared up as the snake went past them. Daryl quickly grabbed at the reins with both his hands as he had his other one lying leisurely on his thigh, before.

"Whoa, whoa!" He raised his voice as he tried to calm her down, though she was having none of it. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." Daryl said again as she reared up higher, throwing him from her back. He let out a groan when he hit the hard ground, the air being pushed out of his lungs as he landed on his crossbow. He'd landed on a slope and starting falling down the embankment as the horse that had thrown him ran back the way they came. The metal of his crossbow dug into his back as it worked itself off of him as his body tumbled down the steep land. He stopped rolling as he got to the smooth, wet rocks the upper part of the creek was flowing down, into the shallow pond. The Horton fell into the water ahead of him as he slid down the rocks on his side, landing on his back with a huff when his body came off the lip of the rocks and landed in the water. His head smacking the edge of the slope before he came to rest at the bottom. He let out another groan and tried to catch his breath when a searing pain went through his side, making him forget about the blood he could feel starting to trickle down the side of his head.

"Son of a bitch." He moaned as he grabbed for his side with his hand. His arrow that had been in the crossbow's quiver had come loose during the fall and pierced his side, going right through. He looked down at the tip, sticking up from his side as the water around him started turning red with his own blood. He groaned as he laid his head back down in the water, swaying his leg back and forth as he tried to breath through the pain.

He was on his back and the angle the arrow had went through wasn't getting any better with him laying there, putting more pressure on the end sticking out from behind. He rolled over to his other side, lessening the pain slightly, but not by much. He made his way through the water as he scooted himself towards the bank of the creek. He got to his hands and knees as he got closer, trying to get himself onto land again, his soaked clothes making it that much harder. He brought one of his hands back to put pressure on his side when the pain got worse as he moved. Once on the soft, sandy bank, he sat back on his legs and looked down at himself, bringing his hand back to try and cover the still bleeding wound as best he could with the arrow still stuck in him. He knew he had to get the bleeding from his side to slow down. The bleeding from the gash on the side of his forehead was an after thought. It could wait.

Daryl grabbed his Busse from it's sheath as he pierced the top of his sleeve with the blade, making a hole, much like he had over the last few weeks with most of his shirts. He threw his knife on the ground as he grabbed for the hole and ripped the fabric, pulling the sleeve from his arm. His picked his Team Gemini back up and did the same with his other sleeve. He tied the two pieces of fabric together as he wrapped the makeshift rope around his mid-section. He tied the ends together, using the arrow as an anchor, as he tied a knot around it. He let out another pained moan as he pulled the fabric tight to his skin, causing the arrow to move a little. He picked his Busse up off the ground and put it back in his sheath as he took quick, deep breaths.

He leaned forward a bit, one hand resting on the sand in front of him while his other hand went back to his aching side. He looked up the steep embankment, wondering how the hell he was going to get back up. He sat there for a couple seconds before he tried to get to his feet, the movement pulling the arrow more as his muscles stretched. He stood up with a huff, his hand firming planted on his side, trying to get the pain to go away. He walked a couple steps a head of him and bent over to grab a large stick. He figured he would use it to help him climb back up the steep land. He pushed against it, leaning on it to make sure it would support his weight when he heard a rustling in the bushes across the water.

He turned around and looked in the direction of the noise, the heavy breaths he'd been taking abruptly stopped as he got silent. His blue eyes searched the brush, trying to see anything, and hoping it was just an animal. _Doubt that._ He absently reached behind him where his crossbow should be before he remembered it'd come off during his tumble down the embankment.

He looked around and made his way back to the wet rocks. He waded into the slightly deeper water when he didn't see his Horton in the shallow area he'd fallen. He used the stick to poke at the bottom of the creek bed, waiting for the end to hit his crossbow. The water was murky here as it got deeper, so he was relying on the branch to help him find what he was looking for. A few seconds passed, Daryl poking and prodding every inch of the water in front of him before the branch knocked into something metal. He reached down and found purchase on the fore-grip of his Horton. He lifted it out of the water with his other hand as he made his way out of the water again.

The rustling had quieted down, so he walked along the embankment a couple seconds before finding a spot that wasn't quite as steep. He hung the strap of his crossbow on his arm as started climbing. As he got higher, the steeper it got. He took the stick in both hands, putting it in front of him and using it as leverage as he pulled himself up. The strain from hoisting his own body weight up the cliff, pulled pained groans from him the higher he got, the muscles the arrow was still sticking through, trying to work around the foreign object. He stopped to catch his breath for a few seconds as he looked up the cliff, griping the stick with one hand as he rested his other on the ground. He pushed farther, working himself up a few feet. He stuck the stick into the ground again as he pulled himself up, whimpering when a shooting pain went through his side. He threw the stick up the tiny ledge he was at and grabbed onto the small tree that was there as he tried to pull himself up over the ledge, grunting and whimpering with his efforts. He took short deep breaths as he stopped again, waiting for the pain to ease down. The more he worked, the worse it was getting.

* * *

**The Farm**

It was late in the afternoon by now. Kat, Dylan, Andrea and T-Dog were back from their searches. Both groups had gotten through the areas of their grids for the day with no sign of the little girl. They were waiting in the RV for Rick and Shane to come back to see what the next move would be.

Lori had went to get a bucket of water from the well to wash their dishes with and was walking back into camp when she passed Glenn, who was sitting outside his tent reading a book. He quickly got up and fell in step behind her as she walked to their fire pit.

"Mind your own business, Glenn." She said without even turning around.

"You're pregnant." Glenn whispered.

Lori set the bucket of water down next to a metal tub they had their dishes in and turned around to look at him. She took a breath and brought her hands together in front of her in a pleading manner. "You can't tell anybody, okay?" She whispered to him while she brought her eyebrows together, a worried look on her face.

Glenn glanced behind her, seeing Shane and Rick walking up the gravel driveway, causing Lori to turn and look. She turned back to Glenn with the same look on her face.

He widened his eyes as he understood what she meant. "You haven't told him yet?"

Lori just looked away from him as she picked the bucket of water up and emptied it into the tub of dishes. She put her hands in her hair as turned around and walked towards Rick, scratching at her head.

Rick held his hand that held the shotgun out to his side towards Shane as he walked to Lori. Shane snatched it from him without a word as he walked away.

Lori, noted the exchange between the two and the pissed off look on Rick's face. "Somethin wrong?" She asked as she rested a hand on Carol's Cherokee and leaned against it. Rick did the same as he came up to her. He waited for Shane to walk past them and towards the RV before he said anything. His eyes followed Shane until he walked into the Winnebago to put the guns away.

"I just had a long talk with Shane." Rick said as he looked back at her face.

Lori swallowed as she stared back at him. Her heart started to race as she thought of what they could've been talking about to have Rick so mad...

He looked at her for another second. "He wants to call off the search."

Her eyes drifted from him for a second while she internally sighed as he said the words, thanking God it wasn't what she thought was going to come out of his mouth. "What do you think?" She asked as she looked back at him.

Rick looked at the ground for a second and raised his eyebrows. "What if it was Carl?..Would you want us to keep lookin?"

"If it was Carl, yes I'd wanna know one way or another." Lori answered.

"Shane says my good intentions are makin us weaker, that I can't make the hard decisions for the good of the group."

Lori brought her eyebrows together, annoyed, as she looked towards the RV Shane was occupying before she looked back to the man in front of her. "They're all hard decisions."

"But maybe I'm holdin on to a way thinkin that doesn't make sense anymore." Rick said as he furrowed his brow. "He says it's math, basic survival- how much fuel, how much food, how much ammo. Not much room in that equation for being soft." He raised his eyebrows and looked away before his eyes found hers again. "It's pretty simple when you start thinkin of life like that." He shrugged his shoulders.

Lori put her hands on either side of his face. "Hey." She said as she looked at him. "None of us were prepared to be livin life this way. You are makin the best decisions you can with the information you have. I don't see **soft** in that."

"Mr. Grimes." Beth, the youngest Greene daughter, said from behind them. Lori dropped her hands from his face as they both looked at her. "My dad wants to talk to you."

Rick nodded as he started to walk past Lori. She reached for his arm, giving it a squeeze before he walked away, following Beth. The young girl told him he was in the generator shed behind the house before they parted ways.

* * *

**The Forest**

Daryl had made it a little less than halfway up the embankment by now as he stuck the stick into the ground beside him again. He went to put his weight on the branch when the dry ground fell away beneath it, as it had the last couple times he'd tried to find a place that would help him hoist himself up. He watched the clump of dirt roll down the cliff as he readjusted his leg. It was too dry here and the stick wasn't doing much good anymore. He looked at it before he tossed it down the cliff. He listened to it and the rocks it hit, sliding down the cliff as he looked back above him, seeing how much farther he had to go by himself now. He stretched, reaching above him for a small tree trunk when the pain shot through his side again.

"Ah." He breathed as brought his arm back down and held his side. "Oh, come on..You've done half. Stop bein such a pussy." He said to himself as he grabbed onto a tree at his side to steady himself again. "Come on." He took a couple deep breaths, mentally preparing himself for the searing pain that would no doubt hit him in a few seconds, and pushed himself up the cliff a few feet, grabbing onto the branch that was there. He tried not to yell as the sharpness in his side reached him again. The angle he'd put himself in was too steep and he slipped back down to his previous spot as he took deep breaths through his mouth.

He couldn't get in a good position with his feet and didn't have a good grip on the branches around him as his own weight started pulling him backwards. Gravity was not Daryl Dixon's friend today as he fell and started rolling down the cliff, again. The arrow was jolted and moved back and forth with every tumble his body took as he made his way down. All the work and pain he'd gone through for the last hour and thirty minutes making it half way up that cliff, gone to waste, as he let out another groan when he landed hard on his injured side on the ground below. He let out a pained breath as he grabbed for his wound, feeling blood flowing again. He didn't have the strength to get up this time.

* * *

**The Farm**

Rick had made his way to the shed behind the house. He looked inside, not seeing Hershel anywhere and made his way to the back, seeing the old man pouring gasoline into a funnel he had sticking out of the generator's fuel tank. Rick walked closer to him.

"One of my horses is missin." Hershel said as he looked up at him, emptying the can of gas into the generator. "Did one of your people take it?" He asked as he put the can down.

"I was given the impression you knew about that." Rick said.

"I did not." Hershel looked at him as he took the funnel from the fuel tank and set it on top of the empty can.

Rick gave him a nod, bring his eyebrows together and glanced at the ground before looking back at Hershel. "I'll have a word with **Daryl**." Rick titled his head.

"And Jimmy?" Hershel said as he put the cap back over the fuel tank. "You took him out today. Did he also give you the impression of my consent?" He asked as he grabbed a screwdriver and leaned over to work on the generator.

"No, he said it outright. I took the boy at his word." Rick said as he stepped closer to Hershel.

"Jimmy is 17. He's not my kin, but I am responsible for him. These things need to be cleared with me." Hershel stood up.

"Sounds like we need to work on our communication..What do you suggest?" Rick asked as Hershel walked towards him.

"Keep it simple. I'll control my people, you control yours."

Rick nodded at him before walking away. Hershel flipped the switch, turning the generator back on as he watched the young sheriff walk back towards his camp.

* * *

**The Forest**

Daryl lay on his back in the same place he'd fallen to at the bottom of the cliff several minutes earlier. His vision faded in and out as he stared at the trees above him, which began to spin. He closed his eyes again to stop the dizziness when he was vaguely aware of footsteps coming towards him. They didn't sound like the shuffling of a Walker, it was someone walking with a purpose. _Living._ Hopefully it'd be someone that would get him out of this mess and get him back to camp.

Daryl did his best to open his eyes and try to focus on the form that was standing over him as his vision blurred again. The person knelt down next to him as an all too familiar face came into focus and the sound of his voice rang through his ears.

"Why don'tcha pull that arrow out, dummy? You could bind your wound better."

"Merle." Daryl smiled and closed his eyes again.

Merle chuckled a little and smiled down at the mangled mess that was his baby brother. He brought his eyebrows together. "What's goin on here?" Merle asked as Daryl tried to focus on his face again. "You takin a siesta or somethin?"

"A shitty day, bro." Daryl said as he looked at his big brother.

"Like me ta get ya pillow? Maybe rub your feet?"

"Sscrew you." Daryl slurred as he tried to stay 'awake.'

Merle chuckled. "You're the one screwed from the looks of it. All them years I spent tryin to make a man of you, this is what I get? Look at ya. Lyin in the dirt like a used rubber. You're gonna die out here, little brother. And for what?"

"A girl." Daryl tried to open his eyes, but shut them quickly when the world started to spin again. "They lost a little girl." He whispered. Speaking any louder, himself, was making his head hurt again.

"So you got a thing for little girls now?"

"Shut up." Daryl opened his eyes to little slits to look at him.

"Cause I noticed you ain't out lookin for old Merle no more." Merle shook his head.

"Tried like hell to find you, bro." Daryl opened his eyes.

"Like hell you did. You split, man. Lit out first chance you got."

"You lit out. All you had to do was wait. We went back for you. Rick and I, mmm, we did right by you." Daryl slightly nodded his head.

"This the same Rick that cuffed me to the rooftop in the first place?" Merle said as Daryl looked up at him again, this time with wider eyes as he tried hard to focus on his brother's image. "Forced me to cut off my own hand?"

Daryl looked down. _His right hand._ The hand he'd cut off. He had his right arm resting over his knee as he knelt down next to Daryl. And his hand was still very much attached to his wrist. _Not real..He's not there. _Daryl tried to tell himself. He needed to snap out of it.

"This him we're talkin bout here?" Merle asked. "You his bitch now?"

"I ain't nobody's bitch." Daryl said as his eyelids felt heavy again.

"You're a joke is what ya are, playin errand boy to a bunch of pansy-asses, niggers, and democrats." Merle chuckled as he smiled. "You're nothin but a freak to them. Redneck trash. That's all ya are. Yeah, they're laughin at ya behind your back. You know that dontcha? I got a little news for ya, son. One of these days, they're gonna scrape you off theirs heels like you was dog shit."

"Kat.."

"What about 'er? The hell would a girl like that want with ya?"

Daryl let his eyes fall shut again. _No shit._

"Hey." Merle slapped his hand on Daryl's chest and shook his arm, making him open his eyes again. "They ain't your kin..your blood. Hell, you had any damn nuts in that sack a yours, you'd go back there and shoot your pal Rick in the face for me...Now you listen to me." Merle said as he lightly grabbed Daryl's face with his hand. He leaned closer to him, turning Daryl's face so he would look at him. "Ain't nobody ever gonna care about you except me, little brother." Merle patted the side of Daryl's face with his fingers. "Ain't nobody ever will." Merle nodded as Daryl looked up at him under heavy eyelids. Merle let his face go. "Come on," Merle patted Daryl's chest, "get up on ya feet 'fore I have to kick ya teeth in." Merle said as he stood up.

He took a couple steps back and kicked at Daryl's legs a couple times. "Let's go." He said as he bent down and grabbed Daryl's leg, shaking it. "Come on." He said as he moved Daryl's leg with enough force to shake Daryl's whole, limp body.

Daryl slowly started to come to as Merle was shaking him..But the snarling sound coming from his lower half woke him up real quick. Daryl opened his eyes and looked down, seeing a Walker on it's knees with a grip on his foot, biting at his heavy work boots. It sat up and looked at Daryl with a growl when it saw him wake up. Daryl whimpered as he tried to push himself back, away from the Walker. He pulled his leg back and kicked at it's face, sending it flying onto it's side as Daryl tried to scoot away from it, the Walker crawling towards him as it tried to get to it's feet.

He reached out to his right for his Horton, but it was a few inches out of reach. The Walker was on top of him now, climbing over his legs as Daryl grabbed it's arm, trying to hold it away from his body with his left arm as it grabbed at his shirt. Daryl grabbed his Busse from it's sheath with the hand he'd been using to reach for his crossbow and jammed it into the Walker's upper arm, distracting it for just a second. Daryl let go of the Walker with his left hand, bringing his arm back and punching it across the face a couple times before he grabbed it by the throat and flipped them over. He was hovering over the Walker as it reached up and took a fist full of Daryl's hair at the back of his head. Daryl pulled the Walker up, loosening it's grip on his hair, and rolled them over again, this time with enough force that sent the Walker's body flying a few feet away from him.

Out of the brush came another Walker, what once used to be a black man, and started making its way over towards Daryl across the creek.

Daryl picked up a large branch on the ground near him as the Walker he'd thrown, got back to it's feet. He brought the branch back like a baseball bat and swung at the Walker's legs as hard as he could, sending it to the ground as it snarled at him. It turned onto it's back as it started to sit up again. Daryl launched himself at it, putting the long branch against it's chest and pushing it back to the ground as he straddled it. The Walker reached up and grabbed at his chest as Daryl sat straight up and brought the branch above his head. He brought it back down onto the Walker's skull with as much force as he muster, smashing it's face in a couple times before he turned the branch and jammed it through what was left of it's eye-socket, sticking it into the ground beneath the Walker's head.

Daryl looked up, seeing the black Walker quickly coming towards him. He threw himself off the Walker he was on top of and laid down on his back next to his Horton, pushing the arrow further into his side, only the fletchings sticking from his back now. He looked down at the arrow sticking up from him and took a hold of it with both hands. He groaned as he started pulling the arrow from himself, the plastic fletchings tearing through the skin like razors as he ripped it from his body. He turned himself onto his other side with the force he was pulling and with another jerk, he pulled the arrow all the way through him just as the Walker coming towards him made it's way to the large log that separated them. Daryl held the arrow between his teeth as he brought himself into a sitting position, grabbing his Horton. He put the crossbow between his legs as he stuck his foot in the stirrup and grabbed for the drawstring. The Horton was lighter than most crossbows but the pain emanating from his side made the 125 pound draw weight twice as hard to pull back as he grunted and strained against the string.

The Walker made it's way around the log as he pulled the drawstring into the latch and quickly took the arrow from his mouth and loaded it into the bow. The Walker was right over him now, as Daryl fell to his back and looked through the scope up at the corpse that was mere feet from him. He pulled the trigger as the Walker took another step towards him, sending the arrow through it's skull right above it's eye at an upward angle. The tip of the arrow coming through the top of it's head as it fell face first to the ground next to Daryl.

Daryl laid his head down on the ground beneath him while he let the crossbow rest over his chest as he looked at the Walker next to him. He turned his face to the trees above him as he lay there, panting, while the pain in his side caught up to him. He closed his eyes while he waited for it to pass and slowly drifted off again.

* * *

**The Farm**

Kat walked out of the Winnebago shortly after Shane walked in. She was about to make a joke about how the tension he was giving off in the small space was making it hard to breath, but the look on his face made her think it was a bad idea, so she simply opted for walking out the door, quietly.

She got outside and looked around the camp, looking for the one face that was still missing. She looked towards his tent but it didn't look as if anything had been moved. She took a few steps back and looked on top of the RV at Dale as she brought her hand to her eyes, making a visor from the sun as she looked up at him.

"Daryl back yet, Dale?"

Dale was looking out over the land with one of the pairs of binoculars in his hands. "No, dear..Not yet."

Kat smiled at him a little as she looked up at him. His mouth was slightly opened as he peered through the binoculars, focused on the view inside them as he watched over the land surrounding them. He reminded her of her grandfather. Right down to the "dear".

She turned her head and looked over the fields around the property, hoping he'd come riding out of the woods on that horse any second. It was even later in the afternoon by now, the sun creeping ever lower in the sky.

"Where the hell is he?" Kat said to herself. She shook her head and walked to the Carsen's cluster of tents. She and the boys hadn't given Carol their clothes this morning to wash. Kat said she and Dylan would do them later. _No time like the present._ That would keep her busy for awhile.

* * *

**The Forest**

Daryl started to wake up again, the warm sun shining on his face. He looked around him, remembering where he was as he let out a sigh. He groaned as he pulled himself into a sitting position and looked at the two **dead**,dead Walkers laying around him.

He got to his feet and sat on some large rocks that jutted out from the rocky cliff next to him, laying his Horton down beside him. He loosened the makeshift rope he'd made from the shirt's sleeves as he started to undo the buttons of his flannel before he pulled it off his shoulders and shrugged out of the shirt. The dirty tank top he'd had on underneath was even more filthy now and was sporting a large blood stain, accompanied by two holes on the front and back of his left side. He rolled the flannel into a ball and put it over the still bleeding wound on the front as he tightened the rope around him to hold it in place again.

"Son of a bitch was right." He said as he picked up his Horton and slid from the rocks he was sitting on.

Daryl picked up his Busse that was lying in the dirt and walked to the edge of the water while he grabbed his handkerchief. He cleaned the Walkers blood from the knife before he tucked the red handkerchief back in his pocket and grabbed the squirrel that was still tucked under his belt behind him. He walked over to the fallen tree that was half on the creek bank and half in the water. He got on top of it as he leaned his crossbow against it. He sat down, putting a leg on either side of the log as he laid the squirrel out in front of him. He put his knife into the water again, waving it around one more time before he brought it in front of him again and began slicing the squirrel's gut open. He jammed his Busse into the log above the squirrel's head as he picked through the entrails, pushing them aside as he searched for what he was looking for. He pulled out the heart and liver, eating them raw. Blood dribbled from the corners of his mouth as he chewed the heart. He stuck his middle and index finger in his mouth, one at a time, sucking some of the blood off before he wiped his hands on his pants.

He got up off the log and grabbed his knife before he walked to the rocks and picked up Sophia's doll that had slipped from his pants. He slipped it's head under the sleeve-rope tied around him and walked over to the dead Walkers. The one that had been trying to chew through his boot had it's own boots on. He knelt down next to it, sticking his knife in the ground next to it's leg as he started to undo the laces. He held the shoelace in his hand as he grabbed his knife and knelt next to the Walker's head. He grabbed it's ear and began slicing the appendage from its head before doing the same on the other side and to the other Walker. He slipped the knife back in it's sheath as he stood up.

He slipped the ears onto the shoelace, sliding it into the holes that were left in the middle when he cut them from the Walkers. He tied the ends of the lace into a knot as he held up the Walker Ear Necklace he'd just made. Zombie apocalypse or not, Daryl was still a hunter through and through. _Trophies._ He put the necklace on as he looked up the cliff he was going to tackle again.

He tied the strap of his crossbow around his upper arm before he started climbing, once again using a stick as leverage to pull himself up. The pain in his side wasn't as sharp as it was before now that the arrow wasn't stuck in him, but it was by no means gone, as he pushed himself farther and farther. He found himself halfway up the cliff in less time than it had taken him before. He threw the stick down the cliff as he panted and reached for the roots of the tree he was holding onto with his other hand and pulled, a whimper escaping from his lips as felt his side bleeding again while he continued to strain. He turned and stopped while he rested against the steep land as he pushed the Horton out of the way. He looked into the sky above him when he heard crows calling, circling over head while the sweat dripped down his face and body.

"Please, don't feed the birds." That voice called.

Daryl looked behind him, up at the top of the cliff's ledge he was trying to get to as he saw Merle walk to it's edge. He smiled down at his little brother. Daryl turned his face away as he looked down the cliff, at what he'd managed to climb so far.

Merle laughed as he bent over, placing his **hands** on his knees while he leaned against them. "Well what's the matter, Darylina? That all ya got in ya?"

Daryl moaned again as he pushed himself up a little farther with his arms.

"Throw away that purse and climb." Merle taunted him as he stood back up.

Daryl turned around, grabbing onto the roots behind him before he turned back around. "I liked it better when you was missin." He said as he scooted over into a better position. His hand went to his side for a minute as it ached again. He turned around looking for something else to grab onto next.

Merle laughed as he leaned over again. "Now, come on, don't be like that. I'm on your side."

"Yeah? Since when?" Daryl panted as he turned around, looking at the thin branches of the tree next to him.

"Hell, since the day you were born, baby brother. Somebody had to look after your worthless ass." Merle stood back up.

Daryl glanced up at him before looking away again. He still had his back to the cliff, a hand wrapped around the thin branches and his other on the roots of another tree as he gave them a pull, seeing if they'd hold his weight. "You never took care of me. You talk a big game, but you was never there." Daryl said as he pulled himself higher.

Merle looked down at him. "Mhm."

"Hell, you ain't here now. Some things never change."

"Well, I'll tell you what...I'm as real as your **Chupacabra**." Merle said in a mocking tone.

"I know what I saw." Daryl said as he looked below him again, grunting as he pushed himself up. He turned back around so he was facing Merle as he started to climb.

Merle chuckled. "And I'm sure them shrooms you ate had nothin to do with it, right?"

Daryl looked up at him as he grabbed onto the ground. "You best shut the hell up." He raised his voice.

Merle leaned over again. "Or what?" Merle mocked him. "You gonna come up here an shut my mouth for me?" Merle held his arms out to his sides, watching Daryl pull himself further up. "Well, come on and do it then, if ya think you're man enough." Merle laughed as Daryl grabbed onto another tree and pulled. "Hey, kick off them damn high heels and climb, son." He laughed again.

Daryl shook his head as he tried to hold himself up, another pained whimper slipping from his mouth. He grabbed onto the trunks of a couple more thin trees as he pulled himself further up the cliff.

"You know what? If I were you, I'd take a pause for the cause, brother. Cause I just don't think you're gonna make it to the top." Merle shook his head. Every put down, making Daryl work that much harder.

Daryl grunted as he grabbed onto the trunk of a small tree, swinging his body around it and further up the cliff before he grabbed for another branch, higher up.

"Come on." Merle said as he held out his right hand with a 'come here' motion. "Come on, little brother." He laughed. "Grab your friend Rick's hand."

Daryl reached up, his hand grasping the edge of the cliff. He dug his fingernails into the dirt, ensuring a good grip as breathed heavily. He brought his other arm up and planted it on the ground as he lifted himself up with another pained groan. He lifted himself up enough to get his foot on the ledge. He grabbed for the large tree's trunk at the top, pulling against it as he lifted his other leg over the ledge. He dropped to his knees at the top, for a second before he quickly got into a kneeling position. The younger Daryl inside of him almost afraid Merle was still there and would knock him back down. He looked ahead of him seeing nothing but the trees as he stood up, panting.

"Yeah, you'd better run!" Daryl shouted into the forest before him as he swayed a little. He started walking on unsteady feet as he made his way back through the forest.

* * *

**The Farm**

"It's nice to be cookin in a real kitchen again." Hershel heard Lori say as he walked back into his house. He walked towards the kitchen, hearing all of the activity coming from it. He stood in the doorway of the dining room, across from the kitchen.

"Yeah? I never thought I'd be so happy to see a potato peeler." Carol smiled.

"Yeah." Beth giggled as she and Patricia helped the women prepare supper.

"I'm just glad we're not roastin squirrels over a fire in the woods." Lori said.

"Thank you, Patricia, so much for just letting us into your house." Carol said.

Hershel turned around when he heard Maggie behind him. She had went to get a fold up table from the shed since they decided they were all going to eat in the house tonight.

"What's this?" He asked Maggie.

"Lori and Carol are cookin dinner for us all tonight." Maggie said as she looked up at him.

"That's the first I've heard of it." Hershel held his arms out to his sides before letting them come down again as he stepped closer to her.

"Well, I didn't think it was that big a deal. They wanna thank us for helpin them."

"We need to be settin clear boundaries with these people. They're getting a little too comfortable." Hershel said as she started to unfold the table, he bent over to help her with the other side.

"It's just dinner."

Hershel stood back up. "What's going on with you and the Asian boy?"

_Damn it. _"Glenn..He's a friend."

"I'd rather he wasn't." Hershel raised his eyebrows. "Bad enough I have to chase Beth and Jimmy around."

"Well, you don't have to chase me around. I'm not 16." Maggie reminded him, she was several years older than her younger sister.

"I know you're not. That's why I'm countin on you to be the mature one."

"Mm." Maggie mumbled as she looked away from him and into the kitchen, seeing Lori and Carol smiling and talking with Patricia and Beth.

"You know how I feel. Please don't make things harder than they need to be."

Maggie looked back at him. "I'm a little old for us to be havin this conversation." She said as she walked away to go get the chairs that went with the table.

"Don't get close to them." Hershel said, making her stop and turn to him in the doorway. "They're not going to be around forever."

Maggie looked at him for a second before turning her eyes to the ground and leaving the room.

* * *

Dale had left Dylan on watch while he went to fill a bucket with water, so he looked to the top of the RV slightly confused when he saw Andrea standing on top with a cowboy hat on and his rifle in her hands. "What's with the Annie Oakley routine?" He asked with a smile as he got closer.

She stopped looking through the scope and brought the rifle down in front of her as she turned to look at him. "I don't wanna wash clothes anymore, Dale. I wanna help keep the camp safe. Is that all right with you?"

Dale's smile faded as he walked closer to the RV with his bucket of water. Andrea sighed as she rested the rifle's stock on the roof of the RV and held the barrel with her hand, looking out over the area. Dale got to the RV's door, looking up a little startled at seeing Glenn sitting at the table. He wasn't expecting him to be there.

"Sorry." Glenn said, waving the book he had in his hands. "Just-Just returning your book." He tapped on the cover as Dale stepped closer to him. Glenn set the book down on the table.

Dale put the bucket of water next to the other seat on the ground "Oh, no, I'm sorry." He said, picking the book up off the table and looking at the cover. "If I'd known the world was ending I'd have brought better books." He said as he tossed the book on the other seat.

Glenn smiled, thinking back to the horrible story plot. He picked up his baseball cap he had laid on the table and began fiddling with it as Dale picked up the bucket of water and walked it into the back room. Glenn set the hat down and stood up in the small walk way next to the table. He faced Dale as he turned back around.

"Dale, do you think Andrea's on her period?" He asked. Dale looked up at the roof of the RV and held his hands up to Glenn, a _quiet down_ motion as he stepped closer to the boy, reminding him the woman in question was right above them. "I-I'm only asking cause it's like all the women are acting really weird. And-and I read somewhere that when women spend a lot of time together their cycles line up and they all get super crazy hormonal at the same time." Glenn raised his eyebrows as Dale nodded his head.

Dale held his hand up to Glenn, stopping him. "I'm-I'm gonna advise you..to keep that theory to yourself." Dale said in a quiet voice as he smiled at Glenn.

Glenn returned it as nodded. "Yeah."

"Who else is actin weird?" Dale smiled as he leaned his arm against the counter in the kitchenette.

Glenn sat back down on the seat at the table behind him. He rested his elbow on the table and brought his fist to his mouth and held it there for a brief moment before he pointed in the direction of the Greene's house. "Maggie." He said as he let his arm lay on the table.

"Ahh, Maggie." Dale raised his eyebrows as he smiled. He took a few steps further into the small area. He'd seen the boy ogling at her.

"She started off being mean to me. Then she wanted to have sex with me. And now she's being mean to me again. And I-I don't even wanna know what's going on with Lori." Glenn shook his head as he held his hand toward the tents before returning it to his lap.

"What's goin on with Lori?"

Glenn looked back up at him. Dale was so easy to talk to. He'd almost let it slip. Glenn shook his head. "Nothing. I don't know."

Dale smiled at him again as he nodded his head. "All right, let's-lets take this back a step." Dale walked further into the room and stood in front of Glenn. "How do you know that Maggie wanted to have sex with you?"

Glenn bent his arm again and brought his fist to his mouth as looked up at Dale with raised eyebrows.

The smile fell from Dale's face as he realized what Glenn was telling him. He brought his eyebrows together."Oh, son, you didn't."

Glenn was wearing the same wide grin he had when he came back from the pharmacy with Maggie the day before as he let his arm rest on the table again. He chuckled a bit.

"Did it ever occur to you how her father might feel about this?" Dale asked as he held his hand out.

The smile fell as Glenn shrugged his shoulders. "She's 22."

"And he is our **host**." Dale waved his hand at him as Glenn looked away.

Glenn nodded, understanding, before looking back at Dale. He raised his eyebrows. "He doesn't know."

"Well, see that it stays that way." Dale said as he leaned back against the counter behind him. He looked out the front window of the RV and shook his head before he looked back at the young man. "Jesus, Glenn, what were you thinking?" He held his hands out to his sides and brought his eyebrows together.

"I was thinking that I might be dead tomorrow." Glenn calmly said as he looked up at Dale, who's face softened as he remembered the world they were being forced to live in now. You couldn't take each day for granted anymore. Glenn grabbed his hat and stood up from the table. "Thanks for the book." He said as he scooted past Dale and went for the door. Dale held up his hand to put it on Glenn's shoulder and opened his mouth to say something but he let him go. "You're right, it sucks." Glenn said as he exited the RV. He walked the few feet into camp, seeing T-Dog sitting on the picnic table, drinking from a jug of water and Rick kneeling down next to the fire looking over the map with Kat and Dylan.

Andrea, sitting in a camping chair up on the RV, glanced down at him as he walked towards the tents. She turned her eyes ahead of her, back onto the open land surrounding Hershel's house. She uncrossed her legs and quickly stood up as she saw a figure shambling out of the forest on the other side of the property. "Walker. Walker!" She yelled. T-Dog got up from his seat as Glenn ran to his tent.

Rick, Kat and Dylan stood up and walked the few feet to the RV, looking out over the land where her eyes were. "Just the one?" Rick asked as they got to the RV. He and Kat both shielded their eyes from the sun as they looked out into the distance at the figure. You couldn't see any features with it's position across the field, but it was slowly making it's way out of the trees and towards the direction of camp.

Andrea picked up the binoculars on top of the RV and looked through them. The position of the sun, low in the sky now that it was early evening, was casting a glare on the image, making it hard to see. But through the magnified lens, she could see a dirty figure of a being, swaying and limping as it walked closer. She brought the binoculars away from her face as she looked down at Rick with a smile. "I bet I can nail it from here." She threw the binoculars in her seat and grabbed the rifle she had leaned against air vent on the top of the RV.

"No, no, Andrea. Put the gun down." Rick said. Kat unclipped her combat knife from her shoulder holster and held it in her right hand as Dylan ran into the RV, almost knocking into Dale, and grabbed the hatchet from the closet. Glenn was at his tent and reached into his bag for the machete inside as T-Dog grabbed the aluminum baseball bat they had leaned against a cooler by the fire.

Shane quickly pulled his boots back on as he heard the words coming from outside. He came out of his tent, his shirt undone, as he was resting in his tent after the hot day in the forest they had. He grabbed the pickaxe by the tree outside his tent as he made his way over to the group gathering at the RV. Andrea brought the rifle away from her shoulder at Rick's words and looked down at them.

"You'd best let us handle this." Shane said as he limped closer. All the walking they'd done today had put a lot of strain on his ankle and it was acting up.

"Shane, hold up. Hershel wants to deal with Walkers." Rick held his hand up as he walked a few steps towards him. Dale had came out of the RV and climbed a few steps up the back ladder to get a better view.

Shane put his blue Police cap on his head as he kept walking towards the field, Glenn and T-Dog following him. "What for, man? We got it covered." Shane said. Hershel was letting them stay on his land, the least they could do was take out a measly Walker and keep the area safe.

"Damn it." Rick said as he turned and ran to the RV's door, reaching into the closet and pulling his Colt Python from the gun bag before running back out.

Kat and Dylan followed Shane and the others as they started jogging across the field, Rick quickly running up behind them to catch up.

Andrea stood on top of the RV, the rifle resting in her hands in front of her as she watched the slow moving Walker limp closer. She could take it out with no problem from here, she thought, as she watched the others in the group make their way across the large field. She looked down at the rifle in her hands with a smirk. She flipped the safety off and brought the stock to her shoulder again as she looked through the scope.

Rick had managed to get in front of everyone as they ran across the open field towards the Walker, Shane grunting with every step from the pain in his ankle.

Andrea looked through the rifle's scope, not being able to see for the same reason she couldn't in the binoculars. The sun was shining against the lens, causing a bright glare over the center of the scope. She let out an exasperated sigh and decided to lay on her stomach on top of the RV, hoping the new angle would lessen the glare that was blocking her shot.

"Andrea, don't." Dale shook his head as he looked out over the field, seeing the group getting closer and closer to the Walker. He didn't want her to hit one of them if they got there before she pulled the trigger. That rifle had more kickback that the handguns she'd practiced with.

"Back off, Dale." She said as she looked through the scope. _Damn it!_ The glare was still as bad as it was before.

Rick and the group slowed down as they got closer to the Walker. It was dragging a...crossbow.

Kat's mouth fell open as she looked at Daryl. He was dragging his Horton along the ground behind him from it's strap as he limped closer. Rick held his gun up at him as he brought his eyebrows together, unsure of just what he was looking at. Everyone took a step back and looked at him as he stood there, swaying back and forth slightly.

"Is that Daryl?" Glenn asked, the same bewildered look on his face, Kat had.

"That's the third time you've pointed that thing at my head." Daryl said as he took a few small steps towards them. "You gonna pull the trigger or what?" Kat let out the breath she was holding and put her knife away as Glenn bent over, putting his hands on his knees. Shane took his hat off as he rested the pickaxe on the ground and leaned against it while Rick lowered his gun. Daryl panted as he stood there.

It was no wonder Andrea thought he was a Walker from the distance he'd been at. He looked like one **this** close. Daryl's skin was pale from the blood loss as he stood there, swaying, and stared at them. He was covered in dirt from head to toe. He had blood around his mouth, dripping down his chest, staining the front of his shirt. His hands were bloody. There was a gash on his right temple, and the left bottom half of his tank top was soaked with blood and had also flowed down the left side of his pants, towards his thigh. But because of the glare in the scope and not being able to see properly, Andrea **still **didn't know it was Daryl. She took aim at what she could make out as it's head through the bright glare and pulled the trigger, the gunshot echoing across the property.

_No, no, no._ "Daryl!" Kat yelled as she saw him fall to the ground.

Rick and Kat took a few running steps towards him before Rick turned around towards the camp. "No!" Rick yelled, waving his hands in the air at Andrea. The rest of the group with them looked from Daryl towards the RV.

"Yeah." Andrea breathed with smile as she saw the Walker fall to the ground. The smile quickly faded as Rick's voice reached her. "No! Stop!" She heard him scream across the field.

* * *

"Rick!" Lori screamed as she and everyone in the house ran towards the RV where the gunshot had come from.

Andrea got to her knees on top of the RV as she looked out at the group in the field. Dale started climbing down the ladder as he saw Andrea reach for it.

"What on earth's going on out here?" Hershel yelled towards them. Lori looked out in the direction the two of them had been facing on the RV, seeing the others out in the field.

Kat raced around Rick and quickly knelt down by Daryl's head. His eyes were closed and he wasn't moving. She brushed the hair away from where he'd taken the shot. _Oh my fucking God._ She thought while she let out a sigh of relief. The bullet had just grazed him. _Too close. _"Daryl?" She breathed as put her hands on either side of his face as she leaned over him. "Come on." She said as she put her hands on his shoulders.

Rick and Shane both knelt down on either side of him, looking at the wound. Daryl opened his eyes and looked up at Kat before he squeezed them shut tighter as the new pain, now in his head, hit him. He brought his hand up and ran his fingers along the side of his head where it was burning. He opened his eyes as he looked at the blood on his finger tips.

Shane grabbed his arm, not wanting him to touch the new wound and get dirt and whatever the hell else was on his hands, in it. He pulled the part of the shoelace-necklace out of Daryl's mouth that had slipped between his lips as he fell to the ground. He and Rick each grabbed an arm as they pulled him into a sitting position. Kat put her hands back on his shoulders as she got to her feet.

"Oh, God." Rick breathed as he saw that Daryl was awake and alive.

"Come on." Shane said as they pulled Daryl up more.

Daryl rested his head on his outstretched arm as his head started to spin. "I was kidding." He said as Rick and Shane hauled him up. Dylan, the only one that cracked a smile.

"Come on." Shane said again, trying to get Daryl to at least help them a little bit as they tried to get him to his feet.

Rick grunted as they pulled him up the rest of the way, draping his arms over their shoulders. Kat walked around to Rick's side, coming in front of Daryl as he hung his head. She could see him fighting to stay awake, but was losing the battle. She walked slightly backwards as Rick and Shane started walking towards camp with him, Daryl dragging his feet as they pulled his limp body along. He wasn't even trying anymore.

T-Dog picked up Shane's pickaxe as Glenn grabbed Daryl's Horton and fell in step next to them.

"Oh my God." Andrea shouted in a panicked voice as she ran across the field to the group with Dale, finally realizing who it was. "Oh, my God, is he dead?"

Kat saw red as soon as she heard the blond's voice. _Rick fucking told her to put the gun down._

"Unconscious. You just grazed him." Rick said as the group continued to drag Daryl back towards camp.

Daryl was still hanging on to the last bit of consciousness he had as he leaned his head against Rick's shoulder. But he didn't have anymore strength in him to move or say he was still awake.

If looks could kill, Andrea would've dropped dead when Kat saw her put her hand over her chest and take deeps breaths, relieved he was okay. She turned and faced the blond from her position in front of Rick. "You never pull the trigger unless you see what you're shooting at." Kat tried to say without yelling, though the words practically oozed with the venom in her voice.

Shane opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when the gun trainer in him knew how correct she was.

"I-I thought he was a Walker. I couldn't see him. The-There was a glare in the scope." Andrea tried to cover up her mistake as Kat started walking towards her. Rick and Shane stopped walking, as did Glenn and T-Dog, on either side of them. Dylan followed his sister though. _Welp. Kat's outta the bag. _He thought as he reached for her shoulder, but she launched out of his grasp.

"What did I just fucking say you stupid cunt?!" Kat yelled as she went for Andrea. The little resolve she had, snapped. She brought her fist back, ready to knock her pretty little teeth out until Dylan grabbed her arm. Daryl smirked before he let the darkness take him.

"Kat!" Dylan yelled, grabbing his sister around her waist, holding her to his chest and spinning in the other direction so she wasn't facing Andrea anymore. Kat grabbed at her brother's arms, trying to push and kick away from him as he lifted her off the ground and started walking back towards the house, the group resuming it's pace behind them. "Relax! He's gonna be fine." Dylan said as he walked her to the rest of the group, waiting by the fence that led to the field.

Everyone looked from Dylan's back, seeing him struggle to contain his sister as he walked away, back to Andrea's shocked face. She really had no clue how close she just came to the wrath that was an angry Kat. Andrea would've needed more than a dentist to put her back together after Kat was done with her, had they just let her go.

Glenn looked back at Daryl as they started walking again. "But look at him." Glenn pointed at Daryl with the machete in his hand. "What the hell happened? Lo-He's wearing **ears**."

Rick grabbed at the necklace, pulling it from Daryl's neck and shoved it into the front pocket of his shirt. "Let's keep that to ourselves."

"Daryl's hurt bad." Dylan said as Kat stopped struggling as much when he got to the group at the edge of the fence.

"Is he okay?" Sam asked, pulling his eyebrows together as he and Kaleb looked towards the mess of a person between Rick and Shane, still in the middle of the field. Daryl and the younger Carsen boys hadn't interacted much, but Daryl was more familiar to them than all of these people were, and Sam thought Daryl was "cool". Kat thought it mostly had to do with the crossbow that was always at his side, Sam had always wanted one.

"He'd better be." Kat said through gritted teeth.

Hershel looked at Dylan, seeing the vice he had Kat in. He looked at the young man with a confused look.

Dylan pulled his eyebrows together and forced a smile. "I think it's best she stay like this for a few minutes..She doesn't need to be around Andrea for awhile either." he nodded.

"Take her with him when they get here. First bedroom on the right by the side door." Hershel nodded.

T-Dog stopped when he saw something slip from Daryl's pants. He turned around and grabbed the doll turning it over. He widened his eyes as he stood up. "Guys, isn't this Sophia's?" He held the doll up for them to see.

Rick and the group stopped and turning around, looking at the familiar doll that had been glued to Sophia's side.

* * *

Rick and Shane had managed to pull Daryl up the stairs on the side of the Greene's house and plop him down on the bed Hershel had told them to bring him to, with Kat right behind them. Rick and Shane had went downstairs to calm everyone down and talk to Andrea as Hershel went to gather the medical supplies, water and towels he would need. They were all in the bedroom Carl was occupying since he wouldn't think they would need them again. He told Kat to get Daryl's shirt off and he would be back in a few minutes.

Kat walked to the bathroom connected to the room they were in and filled a bowl with warm water as she grabbed the small hand towel that was hanging on a metal ring on the wall. She walked back into the room and set them down next to the bed an unconscious Daryl was lying on.

Kay unclipped her combat knife and cut the loops of the filthy tank top before she sliced the fabric on either of his sides. She grabbed the front of the shirt, that was now just laying across his chest and threw it on the ground. She held onto the fabric of the shirt sticking out from under his back and pulled it out from under him as gently as she could. She threw it on the ground with the rest of the shirt and his bloody flannel he'd used as a bandage.

She sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at his chest. Though he was still covered in dirt and blood, she could see the scars more clearly without being obstructed, noting several others she hadn't been able to see before down his chest and stomach.

She leaned over and reached for the towel in the bowl of warm water. She squeezed the water out and lightly dabbed at the area around the wound on his side, clearing most of the dirt and blood away for Hershel. When she was finished with the front, she scooted herself closer to him, in order to hold his weight up as she turned him to clean the wound on his back. She grabbed his shoulder and pushed him so he was lying half on his back, half on his side and started cleaning the area, seeing the large bruises that were starting to form on his back where he must've landed on something. _Probably that damn crossbow. _She looked around the rest of his back as she worked, seeing all of the scars. More than what were on his chest. _And bigger_.

Kat didn't know what she was feeling in her chest right now but it felt like someone took her heart and squeezed it. She closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath. She wanted to beat the living shit out of whoever left these all over his body. She opened her eyes when she regained herself and finished cleaning the area around the wound. She let him lay on his back again as she scooted to the edge of the bed.

She leaned over, dipping the towel into the bowl of water and squeezed it before she let it sit on the edge of the bowl. She sat up as she draped her left arm over his stomach and let it rest against his side. She leaned closer to him, her right hand cupping his cheek as she looked at his face, sweeping her thumb lightly over his cheekbone. "What happened to you?" She whispered.

Hershel opened the door and stepped into the room, seeing Kat in her position leaning over Daryl, a look of what he thought was sadness on her face. He gave her a small smile as she took her hand away from Daryl's cheek. She stood up and walked to the other side of the bed to sit down so he would have more room to work on Daryl's other side with the majority of the injuries.

Kat watched Hershel inspect the wounds to Daryl's abdomen. He glanced up, seeing her nervously biting on her nail. "Word is you knew him before?" He said, trying to distract her.

Kat brought her thumb away from her mouth as she looked from Hershel back to Daryl. She nodded her head with a small smile. "Yeah..We were, friends, before this..Not close or anything. But, we knew each other..He knew my family." She nodded her head again.

"And you came upon Rick's group together?"

"No. We, uh, ran into each other in the woods..just outside of Atlanta."

"That's lucky." Hershel looked up at her with raised eyebrows. Rick had told him they all met each other in Atlanta, that not many of them were actually from around here.

"**He's** lucky." Kat looked down at Daryl again.

* * *

"I found it washed up on the creek bed right there." Daryl said to Rick as he pointed to the creek. He was lying on his uninjured side and propping his head up with his hand.

Kat had gotten up and was leaning against the wall next to Shane, who was sitting in a chair next to her as Rick knelt down by the bed with the map and laid it out on the bed next to Daryl. Rick leaned onto the bed as he looked at the area Daryl was pointing to.

"She musta dropped it crossin there somewhere." Daryl said as he held paper towels to the wound on his head, as instructed by Hershel, to stop the bleeding.

Rick turned behind him to look at Shane and Kat. "Cuts the grid almost in half."

Shane raised his eyebrows as he looked from the map to Rick. He had his hand resting over his mouth as he leaned forward against his knees.

"Yeah, you're welcome." Daryl said as he watched Hershel pull the last stitch through his side.

"How's he lookin?" Rick said to Hershel as he turned back to look at him.

Hershel turned to grab the scalpel from the end table next to the bed to cut the excess from the sutures away from Daryl's side before he would be finished. "I had no idea we'd be going through the antibiotics so quickly." Hershel brought the scalpel to Daryl's side as he pulled at the sutures a bit to cut what he needed to, off, causing Daryl to pull away slightly.

Rick looked up at him before he glanced back down at the map. Hershel stood up and put the scalpel into the small surgical pan he had on the end table.

"Any idea what happened to my horse?" Hershel asked as he walked to the bowl of water by the dresser to wash off his hands.

Daryl looked down at his side before laying back against the bed. "Yeah, the one who almost killed me? If it's smart, it left the country." He looked up at Rick who stood up and started to roll up the map.

"We call that one Nelly," Hershel said, "as in nervous Nelly." He dried his hands off as Daryl laid his head down against the pillow when he started feeling dizzy again. Rick started walking to the foot of the bed. "I coulda told you she'd throw you if you'd bothered to ask." Hershel said as he walked to Rick. "It's a wonder you people have survived this long."

Kat looked at Daryl as he closed his eyes, still holding the paper towels to his head, turning them every now and then, each spot showing less and less blood. _Shit, if he isn't right. _First T-Dog cuts his arm, then Carl get's shot, Shane hurts his ankle. Now Daryl almost kills himself. _Jesus Christ. _She shook her head.

"With the blood he's lost from his side and the dizziness..I'm sure he's got a mild concussion, too."

"I'll stay with him tonight." Kat said as Hershel started getting the antiseptic and bandages from the kit on the dresser. Daryl opened his eyes and looked at her before he looked at the ceiling again.

_Of course._ Shane thought as he sat back in the chair he was still in.

Hershel nodded his head, before turning to Daryl and Kat. "No sleep for at least a few hours. Just to be safe." He said before he zipped his bag shut and walked back over to Daryl. Kat yawned at the thought of sleep, she was **already** tired.

Everything had happened so fast when he woke up, between Hershel telling him to hold the paper towels to his head to stop the bleeding, to feeling Kat sitting on the bed next to him, then Rick asking him where he'd found the doll at and shoving a map in his face. Now that he had time to breath, Daryl was aware that his shirt had been off the entire time, leaving his scars for the world to see. At least, the world in the room.

Kat could tell the moment he realized it as he shrunk into the bed farther, his eyes quickly looking around the room at the different people. He wouldn't meet her eyes anymore. She pulled her eyebrows together. _He's embarrassed._ She'd seen him blush a few times when he'd said something he didn't mean to let slip out or if she was teasing him, but this wasn't that kind of embarrassment at all. The want to hurt whoever it was that made him feel this way reared it's head again. She'd do anything to take that look off his face.

Everyone walked out of the room, including Kat as Hershel began wiping at Daryl's head, clearing some of the blood away. Kat was going straight for her tent to grab her Walden book before she went back into that room, luckily not running into Andrea. She'd cooled off but didn't want to see her face again yet.

* * *

Lori was sitting on the floor in the hall outside of the room, picking the stray strings away from the washcloth she had in her hands when she was in the kitchen not so long ago. She quickly got to her feet when the three of them had come out.

"He'll be all right." Rick said as he came up to Lori, putting a hand on her waist and giving her a quick hug before he pulled away as Kat walked past them. Shane shut the door behind them as Rick started following Kat down the hallway but he was stopped at Shane's voice.

"I hate to say it, but I'm with Hershel on this one..Can't keep goin out there, not after this." Shane said as he held his hat in his hands in front of him.

"You'd quit now?" Rick said quiet, but sternly. He turned and walked over to Shane. "Daryl just risked his life to bring back the first hard evidence we've had."

"That is one way to look at it." Shane said as he leaned his shoulder against the door frame. "The way I see it, Daryl almost died today for a **doll**."

"Yeah, I know how **you **see it." Rick said. He'd had about enough of Shane's attitude with this whole Sophia situation.

Rick turned and looked at Lori before walking past her. She patted his chest as he walked by, leaving her there with Shane.

"I'm not out to be a hard case. Just bein realistic." Shane said when Rick turned the corner down the hall and headed outside.

Lori scoffed as she smiled down at the washcloth in her hands before she looked up at him from her positing leaning her back against the wall, opposite of the one he was in front of.

"He's just gotta start makin the tough calls." Shane said as he started to walk past her. "You know I'm right."

Lori leaned off the wall and took a few steps towards him, making him stop and turn around. "I may not agree with all of his choices," Lori pointed her hand she held the washcloth in, in the direction Rick had gone, "but I respect him." She said in a low voice. "I know yours and mine..and your way isn't harder." She shook her head. "It's the easiest thing in the world to cut our losses and to not help. You keep tellin yourself you're makin the tough calls. You're really just tryin to justify-"

"The only thing I care about now in this world is you and Carl." Shane cut her off. Lori looked away from him. _This again._ "So I apologize if I appear to be insensitive to the needs of **others**, but you see, I'll do whatever it takes to keep the two of you safe."

_Hmm. The best friend and the Sheriff's wife, huh?_ Kat thought as she leaned against the wall of the room she'd ducked into down the hall on her way back, listening to their conversation. Half of her, just not wanting to interrupt by walking back into Daryl's room, half of her wanting to hear what they were talking about. Kat wasn't **always** one for eavesdropping, but she believed the more information one had about any given situation, the better equipped you could be. She just didn't think she'd catch the aftermath of an affair, however fleeting it may have been.

Lori walked up to Shane, patting his chest for a second. "Even abandoning a lost child?" She whispered. "Really?" Shane just looked at her. Lori took her hand away as she turned her eyes down to the washcloth. "My son and I are not your problem anymore, or your excuse." She said as she walked away, past the room Kat was in, leaning behind the door.

Shane watched Lori take off before he walked out of the side door that led outside next to the room Daryl was in.

* * *

Dylan wished he had a cigarette as he walked out from the kitchen onto the front porch when Rick had told everyone that gathered in the living room that Daryl was okay. He saw Andrea, sitting on the brick steps that led up to the porch, sulking, as he shut the screen door behind him. She turned and looked at him but didn't say anything as her lips twitched a little, not fully forming a smile. He gave her a small half smile before she turned around as he leaned against the siding next to the door as it opened again a few seconds later.

Dale walked out, Andrea turning around again. "How's he doing?" She asked Dale as he stood above her.

"He'll be fine." Dale said, shaking his head with a slight shrug of his shoulders. He nodded his head towards her. "What about you?"

Andrea looked down before finding his eyes again. "I shot Daryl."

Dale walked down a few steps to sit down beside her. They both looked out over the land together as they both leaned forward, onto their knees. Dale turned his head towards her. "Don't be too hard on yourself." He nodded before looking out over the fields again. "We've all wanted to shoot Daryl." He raised his eyebrows.

Dylan chuckled from behind them as Andrea's lips pulled into a small smile. She turned to look at Dale, causing him to do the same. His face softened when he saw a smile, finally, back on her face. It'd been awhile since she looked happy.

* * *

"Remember, no sleep for a few hours." Hershel said as he packed the last of his supplies into his kit before he walked out of the room, leaving Kat and Daryl alone. He'd told Daryl he could clean up as long as he didn't get his bandages wet.

Daryl sighed as he stared at the ceiling before rubbing his eyes. "The hell're we supposed to do for a few hours?"

Kat leaned over and reached for her book she'd laid next to the chair. _I could think of a few things._ She tilted her head.

He was kicking himself for thinking the same thing until he looked over at her and saw the smirk on her face.

Kat bit her lip before looking away and smiling. "Well, uh, for starters you could take that shower?" She looked back at him after she'd looked at the other door that was attached to the room.

Daryl looked towards the cracked door of the small bathroom before he looked down at himself. Still covered in dirt and bits of blood. "Yeah..Might be nice."

"Duh." Kat shook her head. "A **hot** shower..Hot water here, remember?" Kat raised her eyebrows, thinking back to the wonderful feelings the hot water at the CDC gave her as it ran down her body. Maybe she'd be able to sneak one in sometime soon while they were here.

Daryl nodded his head as he looked at her. She looked down and opened her book before he decided to get out of the bed, forgetting the stitches in his side. He felt a sharp pain and stopped with a groan as he felt them pull at his skin.

"You okay?" Kat looked up and leaned forward.

"Yeah." Daryl breathed, remembering he had to take it slow. He made his way to the bathroom, leaving the door cracked behind him as Kat sat in the chair. She heard him undo his belt and his pants fall to the floor.

_Not wearin those back to bed._ He thought as he looked at the dirt covered, blood stained pants and kicked them from his feet, only then realizing he'd have to walk back in there in just his black boxers when he was done. _Damn it._

"Need some help?" Kat smiled at the partially closed bathroom door as she innocently asked from her seat.

Daryl scoffed with a smirk as he leaned into the shower and turned on the water. "Think I got it." He shouted back towards the door over the sound of the running water.

"Just thought I'd offer." Kat smiled, raising her voice a little bit so he could hear her.

"Uh-huh." He smiled as he stripped his boxers and socks off and laid them on the lid of the closed toilet.

* * *

It had been over an hour and the sun was about to hide itself under the horizon as Carol and Patricia got the last preparations for the meal ready.

Lori was in Carl's room, sound asleep from the medication Hershel had him on. She was sitting in the chair next to the bed as she cried, her legs to her chest while she looked at Carl. "Baby, what do I do?" She whispered. She straightened in her seat when a small knock came to the door. Carol opened the door and walked in as Lori patted her face dry with the washcloth in her hands.

"Dinner's ready. You comin?" Carol asked in a small voice.

"Mm-hmm." Lori nodded her head as she bent over to put her boots back on.

Carol glanced to Carl before looking at Lori again. "You need anything?"

"Huh-uh." Lori shook her head and forced a smile. "I'll be right there."

Carol nodded and walked out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind her.

Lori patted her face again, looking back at Carl as she tried to compose herself. She grabbed for his hand and squeezed it before she got up and headed for the kitchen to help prepare everyones plates.

* * *

Maggie, Glenn, Beth and Jimmy were sitting at one of the tables Maggie had set up, the Carsen boys occupying another, while everyone else sat at the large dining table, enjoying their meal.

The room was filled with an awkward silence, the only sound being the clinking of metal silverware on the glass plates as everyone ate their food. For the Survivors it was the first thing close to a big meal they'd had in a long time. Patricia had even made a small chocolate cake for dessert.

Lori scooped another spoonful of mashed potatoes on her plate before setting the bowl back down in front of Rick. He and Shane, shooting daggers at each other from across the table, looks that Hershel didn't miss.

"Does anybody know how to play guitar?" Glenn turned around in his seat and looked at the larger table with a smile. Everyone looked at him. "Dale found a cool one..Somebody's gotta know how to play." He shrugged as he smiled, looking at everyone while Dale nodded.

A few seconds passed, Glenn's smile fading as the Greene's looked at Patricia. "Otis did." She said, nodding.

"Yes, and he was very good, too." Hershel looked at her, before picking his fork and knife back up.

Rick looked back at Shane again as Glenn slowly turned around. Maggie lightly tapped at his shoe with her's, getting his attention. He looked over at her as she slid a pen with a paper folded around it onto his thigh. He grabbed it from her, smiling a bit. He felt like he was back in middle school or something, passing notes to each other. He unfolded the paper.

**Tonight. Where?**

He looked back up at her, not believing what he read for a second. Wasn't she being mean to him again earlier today? She gave him a tiny small as she looked down at the paper before back to his eyes. He smiled as he thought for a second. He grabbed the pen and scribbled his answer down before folding the paper back up.

Dale, who was sitting at the large table, next to Hershel, glanced across the room at the two, furrowing his brow, wondering what they were doing. He caught the eyes of Hershel, who was looking around at everybody, and followed Dale's gaze to his daughter and Glenn. Maggie's smile fell when she caught her father watching her before she turned her eyes back to the table. Glenn smiled, remembering juuust where he put the condoms. He smiled as he slid the paper onto Maggie's knee, giving it a little squeeze.

* * *

Daryl had been laying on his back for an hour if not longer, not saying another word after he'd gotten out of the shower. He couldn't stop thinking about the fact she'd seen **them**. She hadn't shown any distaste when she looked down his body after he'd walked out of the bathroom in just his boxers. "Much better." She said with a smile as his cleaned figure walked towards the bed. But he was still uncomfortable. He'd tried his whole life to keep his body covered up and he'd been successful so far. She acted like she didn't care about them, but she had to, right? He had the urge to tell her. But couldn't tell if the feeling was out of want or need. To tell her why he was so fucked up. Emotionally and physically. He didn't want her to look at him any differently because she'd seen the things he'd been trying to hide from her. Her, and everyone else.

Kat was distracted. Reading one of the parts in her book that almost reminded her of herself in a way whenever she came across it in her re-readings, wondering just how many other people on this property had their own secrets.

_In any weather, at any hour of the day or night, I have been anxious to improve the nick of time, and notch it on my stick too; to stand on the meeting of two eternities, the past and future, which is precisely the present moment; to toe that line. You will pardon some obscurities, for there are more secrets in my trade than in most men's, and yet not voluntarily kept, but inseparable from its very nature. __I would gladly tell all that I know about it, and never paint "No Admittance" on my gate._

"The scars.." Daryl said, waiting for Kat to look at him. It didn't take long. She looked up from her book at him. It was the first thing he'd said in the last hour. "Happened when I was younger."

Kat watched his face, seeing him struggle with telling her about this. His eyes kept looking around the room, finding her, then quickly looking away again."Daryl, you don't have to exp-"

"He didn't start hittin us 'til after my mom died...We were both young." He said as he stared at the bathroom door. "When Merle left, he started on me..Merle didn't know about it though..Still don't. He always thought it was dad beatin on him for all the shit he'd do." He took a longer pause, finding Kat's eyes again before he looked at the ceiling. "I got it worse than him..Always said I looked more like my ma than Merle did."

Kat let this new piece of him sink in as she thought back to all the times she'd come close enough to touch the man laying a few feet from her. He'd either flinched the moment her skin touched his or he would tense up, even before all of this. _Makes sense now. _Why he was unsure when it came to any kind of physical contact, the good or the bad.

Kat leaned forward in her chair, leaning against her arms as her elbows came to her knees."We're friends right?" She gave him a small smile. He looked back at her face, slowly nodding his head as her face fell again. "Why didn't you say something before I saw them?" She asked in a soft voice.

He thought about lying. Saying because he just didn't want to, which was partially true..But she never lied to him when he asked her anything. So he went for the truth. He shrugged."Never the time..And didn't want ya..feelin different..about me cause of em." He said as he looked down at the sheet he had over his lower half and started playing with it. She'd already seen them, no point in covering up now. "Do things for me outta pity. Just cause you feel bad." He turned and laid on his uninjured side, facing her as he put his arms under the two pillows beneath his head.

She gave him a reassuring smile, even though not so deep down, she **did **feel bad. A father should never beat their children, and she **hated** all the marks on Daryl. Not for their appearance, like he thought anyone would, but because he had no say in it. And the pain he had to have endured at a young age to show for all of the old scars on his body. She wanted to do all the things that were done to him, to his father, the man that put them there in the first place."Well..if you don't want me showing sympathy over them, I won't give you any, then." She shrugged as she sat back in her seat.

There it was. That smirk she loved. Her smile widened at the sight of it.

Kat looked over him as the door behind him opened. Carol walked in, her hands very much full with trays of food and drinks. _At least she had a reason for not knocking. _Kat quickly got up and walked around the bed to help her.

Daryl glanced behind him, seeing who she was walking for before he quickly grabbed the sheet that was resting at his waist and pulled it up over his body. Kat reached Carol, taking what was to be her plate of food and a glass of grape juice before she walked back to her seat, seeing a, yet again, very uncomfortable looking Daryl as he tried to cover himself with the sheet as best he could, but Carol caught a glimpse.

"How're ya feelin?" Carol asked as she set Daryl's tray of food and the pill for pain Hershel said to take on the end table next to the bed.

He pushed the sheet up behind him over his back as much as he could before he laid back down on his side, facing Kat, and pulled the sheet to his chest. "Bout as good as I look." He said as he settled back down into the mattress.

_Not all that bad, then._ Kat tilted her head as she picked up her fork.

Carol glanced at his upper back before she looked down at the tray she still had her hands on. "I brought you some dinner. You must be starvin."

Daryl turned, slightly on his back to look behind him, glancing between her and the plate of food. Carol gave him a brief smile before she leaned over him. He flinched away from her as she got closer, almost conditioned to react that way from a parental figure, but all she did was give him a light kiss below the bandage around his head.

A pang of anger went through Kat, again, as she saw him flinch away from the kind woman. All the years of abuse had damaged him.

Daryl looked up at Carol, unsure what to say. He hadn't grown up in a loving family household, he didn't know how to react to the thank you she'd just given him. "Watch out, I got stitches." He said as he looked at the bed, playing with the sheet with his hand what wasn't under his pillow. Kat smiled as she looked back down at her plate.

Carol looked away before she turned towards him. He was now facing Kat again, as he lay there. "You need to know somethin." Carol said, making Daryl look back at her. "You did more for my little girl today than her own daddy ever did in his whole life." She raised her eyebrows.

"I didn't..do anything Rick or Shane wouldnta done." He said, glancing at her a couple times before finding Kat's legs easier to look at while he spoke.

"I know."Carol smiled down at him. "You're every bit as good as them." She said, looking between his upper back that was unveiled, to the back of his head a few times. If his life had been anything like hers, he needed to hear it from someone. Needed the reassurance that he **was** worth something. "Every bit."

Kat smiled at Carol as she walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her. She looked back at Daryl, curled up into the bed again, grabbing the sheets and pulling them under his chin as he rested it on top of his hand.

* * *

Maggie and Beth were in the kitchen, downstairs, as they finished cleaning up from the dinner. The Survivors, all for Kat and Rick, since he was staying in the room with Carl tonight, had returned to their tents.

Maggie picked up one of the stacks of dried dishes as she walked into the dining room to the China cabinet. She set the dishes down on the shelf as she looked around, seeing Beth still busy drying off plates at the sink. She smiled as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the note Glenn had wrote. She hadn't been able to read it until now.

**Ever done it in a Hayloft?**

The smile faded from Maggie's face as she read the words on the note. _Oh, no._

* * *

Glenn had a flashlight in his hand and was walking to the barn that was some 40 yards or so from the house, with a blanket under his arm and a condom in his pocket. He got to the big double doors at the front, seeing the padlock and wooden board making them unable to open. He pulled on the padlock a couple times. _Well, what the hell?_ He walked around to the side of the barn, remembering seeing a ladder that led up to the second floor. He threw the blanket up on the platform the ladder led to before he starting climbing.

Maggie burst out one of the side doors of the house, seeing the flashlight's beam of light swaying back and forth as Glenn climbed up the ladder. She ran as fast as she could towards the barn.

Glenn smiled as he picked up the blanket and walked into the barn once he got to the top. It looked just as he imagined a hayloft would look like. There were bails of straw everywhere. He shined his light around as he walked forward, the boards creaking under his feet as he looked for a good place with enough room to spread the blanket out on.

That was when the smell reached him. **That** smell. He brought the blanket that was draped over his other arm up to his nose and breathed in it's scent as he kept walking. He could hear them, now. The growling and moaning that was becoming an all too familiar sound to the group. He brought the blanket away from his nose as he looked over the edge of the loft, onto the barn's floor below. His eyes widened as all the Walkers looked up at him, coming towards the direction of the light. There had to have been 20 down there, give or take. Glenn ran to the platform where the ladder led to back outside when Maggie quickly came around the corner.

He stopped in front of her, his eyes wide with fear, her's with panic. "You weren't supposed to see this." She panted. Glenn just stared at her as they both heard the Walkers trying to push at the locked doors.

* * *

Daryl reached for his glass on the end table again before he remembered it was empty. He felt like he hadn't drank anything for days even though he and Kat had just finished their meals and drinks. He scooted down in the bed from his sitting position as he laid back down, pulling the sheet above his belly button.

"Did you call Andrea a cunt?"

Kat looked at him for a second. She thought he was passed out when all that happened. He had a blank look on his face as he laid his head down on the pillow. He was staring at the ceiling for a few seconds before looking at her from under his partially closed eyelids. He looked so tired. He lifted his head to look at her when she didn't answer right away.

Kat looked down at her hands in her lap and chuckled a bit as she shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe." She looked up at his face again.

Daryl's lips pulled up into a smile as he let out a laugh. "Ow." He said as he laid his head back down on the pillow, the pill he'd taken was making him drowsy, but hadn't started taking the pain away yet.

Kat smiled at him. "You want more water?" She asked, looking at his empty glass.

Daryl nodded as he closed his eyes. He hoped the pill Hershel sent up with his dinner would kick in soon. His side was aching. It hurt to **breath.** Kat stood up, walking to the bedside table to grab the glass. She brushed the hair away from his face before she walked to the bathroom to fill up his cup at the sink. Daryl opened his eyes as soon he heard her open the door. He stared at her as she stood in front of the sink. He'd never had someone show him the attention Kat had. Never had someone to take care of him. Anyone to **want **to. And he didn't entirely hate it.

She handed him the glass as she came back into the room. Daryl downed it quickly while he watched her slip her boots off as she settled into the plush chair. She turned herself sideways, hanging her legs over one of the arms while she used the corner of the chair as a pillow.

"You can..sleep here..if you want." The words flowed from his lips before he even thought about it.

She turned to look at him, but he was messing with the sheet again. "Are you inviting me to bed, Dixon?" She smirked.

Daryl quickly looked up at her, his cheeks changing color before he looked back down and played with the sheet some more. "Chair can't be comfortable."

She smiled as he blushed, but swung her legs to the front of the chair before she stood up. She shrugged her shoulders. "I've slept in worse places. Taking advantage of an actual bed would be nice, though."

He gave her a quick smile before he let it fall again. He scooted back a little on the bed, pulling the sheets back. She didn't need much room to lay down beside him, he was twice her size.

_Second thought, maybe this was a bad idea_, Daryl thought while she laid there next to him under the covers, he in just his boxers even though she was fully clothed. _Don't you dare._ He thought when he felt a certain part of him twitch under the sheets.

He watched her turn onto her side. They weren't touching, but her back was to his front as they lay a few inches apart. Daryl was nervous just laying next to her, just like he had been on that stupid car. Why was this so nerve-wracking? All the tiredness he'd been feeling just a minute ago was gone, he was wide awake now. He'd never slept with a woman before her; on the hood of the car, by each other on the floor of the RV, and now in an actual bed? It was uncomfortable because it was **new**, but he wasn't averted by her closeness to him. He kind of...liked it? He watched her shoulders gently rise and fall with her breathing as she slowly fell asleep. Daryl laid there awhile longer before he scooted closer to her and closed his eyes.


	17. Chapter 16: Secrets

_**Update/edit at the end of this authors note since I just added on to what I posted a week ago.**_

_******AllyBelly**__ on Mibba: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it enough to do that! :)_

_******DeadGeekGirl **__on WalkingDeadFanFiction : Thank you for the comment, here's the next chapter!_

_******hideher **__On FanFiction: Thanks! I love long reviews like this, gives me a chance to talk to the people reading :) And I loooove Merle. I think hes kind of a good and bad guy. Maybe it depends on the day? I have the Walking Dead Survival Instinct game where you play as Daryl with Merle, so got a chance to see a bit more of their relationship before writing this. So before the apocalypse, I feel like that's kind of the relationship they had, Merle would give Daryl a hard time every so often to 'toughen him up', but after not knowing his fate for so long when they were separated between the seasons, I think it would've changed his thinking as we saw in s3. He'd do whatever it took to keep his little brother safe. Even though, like Reedus & Rooker have said in interviews, what he did wasn't meant to be a suicide mission, he still died trying to protect him. Mike Rooker is such a great actor. I can't wait to get to that point and write for him :) Between the fact Merle was killed off and Norman's performance in that episode, killed me. I've never cried over something that happened in a TV show or a movie, but I seriously bawled during the last scene between the two. #noshame._

_Now that that is out of the way, I'M SORRY GUYS! Long time in between updates again, I know. Been super duper busy painting. It kind of exploded over the last few weeks. Had to do 2 locally, 1 being the Daryl painting I FINALLY finished, another was a Pokemon painting for a friend and then a third one was __******another**__Daryl one that I had to ship to someone in Oregon. And I __******just**__ got an order for another Pokemon one I needed to ship to Utah when I'm finished._

_Also, did anyone catch Reedus in Pawn Shop Chronicles? I wished he was in it a lot longer than he was but I thought it was still an all right movie. Pretty funny. 4 of my favorite actors in one movie? All it needed was Vin Diesel, Sean Flanery and Johnny Depp and it would've been like a movie dream come true!_

_AND. As I stated above, you guys...I finally finished that stupid (not really) Daryl Dixon painting. Stupid, because I don't know why the hell it took me so long. Link to have a look below. You know the drill. Get rid of the spaces and line breaks. I also have a new BDS piece up if you wanna check that out on my page ;)_

_Www. Etsy .  
com/ listing/157855674/norman-reedus-daryl-_

_dixon-the-walking_

_Oh, I put my twitter handle (krissy_xo) and my other crap on my 'about' page on here as well since someone asked me for it in a pm. So I thought I'd share with all._

_**NOW**__. Since I made you guys wait so long, I'm putting this chapter in two different sections, so this is gonna be a short read this time. I only have a little under half of this 'episode' written so I'm just posting what I have done. Don't worry, I won't make you wait forever for the other half. I'll be working on that painting this week and I have several hair appointments on Saturday so I will hopefully have the rest of it done by this coming weekend. But this way you can at least enjoy some of the next chapter :)_

_DADADADADADADADADADAAAA_

_**UPDATE**: All right, instead of posting it in two chapters I deleted the other chapter and combined the whole thing, now. And _**PrincessPipi**, _for commenting on the other chapter before I deleted it: thank you :) I'm glad you enjoyed what I had up. There's plenty to come. I've got a lot of catching up to do. I planned on having season 2 already written before the season 3 DVD comes out next week...which I've had preordered since March XD So that I could use that time to write some of my own stories to fill the gap. But life/work intervened haha. So I probably won't add as much in between now since I'm a little behind. But I'll try and work in a couple things. Maybe. Possibly. We'll see._

_I finished two paintings I needed to do for a friend over the weekend, shipped that Pokemon painting to Utah, and I just got another order for a Rocco painting a couple hours ago that I need to ship to Ohio when I'm done. But instead of starting it, I sat here and continued proof reading this chapter so I could get it posted for you guys like I said I would! So now that this is done, I'll be off to do that as soon as I post this on everything._

_Anyways, now you all can enjoy the chapter in it's entirety. I went back through and edited the first half; added a couple things, changed some sentences, deleted some things, whatever. So give it another read through._

* * *

**Secrets**

Daryl woke to the very first bits of light coming in through the window, though it was still mostly dark outside.

Kat was still asleep, tucked up next to him, her back pressed against his front. He had his left arm tightly around her waist and resting against her stomach, holding her close. His right, beneath the pillow her head was laying on, her own right arm flush against his. He quickly pulled his left arm away, leaning slightly on his back, away from her a few inches and held it, hovering over his body for a second, noting the pain in his side, again. Kat settled into the mattress, a sleepy sound of discontent coming from her at the warmth of him pulling away.

Daryl laid flat on the bed as he looked beside him, seeing a glass of water and a pill on the end table. _Old man musta been in here._ He thought, feeling a little abashed that he'd seen them like this. The two of them cuddled up together like a couple lovebirds..But he'd liked the feel of it. His body pressed against hers. Maybe a little **too much**, judging by the tent in his boxers that was slowly going down. He reached down and readjusted himself so he wouldn't pop out as he looked back at the window on the other side of the room.

He figured he still had another hour or so before everybody else woke up. Including Kat. He contemplated just laying there as he was and trying to go back to sleep, again, or return to their previous position. He wasn't one for cuddling. Never really had the chance to, before. But now that he was laying there thinking about it, he was kind of starting to miss her warmth, and the way she had felt against him. He decided to ignore the pill and any hints that he'd already been awake, and slowly turned to his side to lean into her again. He let his body relax and slowly put his arm back over her waist, laying his head back down on one of the pillows they were sharing.

* * *

It was as if everyone's internal alarm clocks started being programmed for early morning risings over the last several weeks when this all began. Everybody in camp had things to do as they got ready for the day. Hershel was letting them stay on his land for the time being, so Rick wanted everyone that would be staying in camp to aid with the chores the Greene's would allow them to help with.

That morning, Patricia had given Lori and Carl each a bucket of seed to feed the chickens. Hershel had given the boy the "okay" to get up and move around as long as he was careful, so Lori kept him close.

Carl stood in the small open area in front of the coop, surrounded by the chickens they had let out to feed, a bucket of oats on the ground by his feet. Lori sat several feet away on the rusty hitch of an old trailer, throwing seeds to the chickens by Carl as she watched him and around the camp.

Patricia opened the door to the chicken coop behind them and walked inside to feed the hens that were sitting on their eggs as she listened to Lori and Carl.

"Don't look so worried." Carl said as he looked at his Mom while he bent over to grab more seed from his bucket.

"It's my job." Lori smiled, looking in at Patricia before going back to what she was doing.

"No, it's not. You're a housewife." Carl said, very matter-of-factly.

Lori looked up at him and reached into her bucket for a handful of seeds, tossing them at Carl while she smiled. "Yeah, punk? You see my house around here?" She said as Carl laughed. She stared at him as he went back to the chickens pecking at the ground around him. "Housewife.." Lori scoffed, looking briefly at Patricia, again, who was filling a basket she had with eggs.

Carl grabbed another handful of seed, tossing them to a group of several smaller chicks that were cheeping as they looked around on the ground for food. "They don't have a mother." He said, as he watched them grab for the seeds before the older chickens could come eat them.

Lori leaned over to grab a large feather off the ground by her feet before she looked to the group he was talking about. "Well, she might be somewhere else." Lori said as she looked at the feather in her hands and brushed the dirt, seed, and grass off it.

"Maybe she got eaten." Carl said as he leaned over to the bucket again. Lori looked up at him, not sure what to say. Carl shrugged, looking at her when she didn't speak. "Everything's food for something else."

Lori was at a loss for words, again, as she stared at him for a couple seconds. She looked back down at the feather in her hands.

Patricia turned around, grabbing the bucket of seed she had and walked out of the chicken coop. She was taking the fresh eggs into the house before she would come back out to collect another chicken to put with the rest.

* * *

Daryl had been laying there, awake again, for 10 minutes before he felt Kat start to stir. He closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep. A part of him hoped he would wake up first, again. He wanted to see how she would react with him so close to her if she thought he was still sleeping, to gauge whether or not he should ever try this, ever again. _Who am I kiddin?_ How often were they going to have opportunities like this? Was he really going to ask her to sleep with him again? He was positive that would come out wrong. If Daryl could shake his head without her noticing, he would've.

Kat slowly woke up and stretched her legs out, feeling Daryl's weight pressed up behind her and an arm over her waist. Another against her arm under the pillow she and Daryl were sharing. She took her arm out from under the pillow and gently turned onto her back to glance at his face, a few inches from hers, letting out a breathy chuckle, seeing he was still asleep. She placed her hand on the arm he now had draped over her stomach and rubbed up to his elbow once before letting her palm rest on his forearm. She ran her thumb back and forth across the skin there, as she turned her face back towards the window on the other side of the room.

Daryl sighed on the inside. She hadn't woken up, thrown his arm off her and got up to leave; she was practically holding him there, rubbing crescent moons gently onto his forearm. He took in a deep breath as he stretched before he opened his eyes to "wake up". She turned to look at him with a smile when he started to pull his arm away.

"Sorry." Daryl mumbled in a sleepy voice as he rubbed at his eyes.

"It's okay." Kat smiled. She sat up in the bed and put her hands on the mattress at either side of her, arching her back to stretch it out. "Oh." She groaned, before placing the hand closest to Daryl on her back.

Daryl looked over at her as he started to sit up, himself. "Ya all right?"

"Is it possible for your back to hurt from bein comfortable?" She laughed. "I think I've been sleeping on the ground or in a car too long. Now that I slept in a bed, my back doesn't know what to do." She said as she stretched again. "Except hurt."

Daryl scoffed a little laugh as he swung his legs off to the side of the bed, giving Kat his back as he reached for the pill and glass of water on the end table. "Maybe..Mine does, too."

Kat glanced over at him before she got out of the bed, pulling her side of the sheets and comforter up, seeing the black and blue colors on him had spread. "You haven't seen the bruises on your back from rolling over your Horton, have you?" She had asked him what all happened in the woods once he'd started talking to her again last night after the confession about his scars.

Daryl stood up and turned towards her, trying to look over his shoulder at his back, but quickly giving up when the stretching his body had to do for the motion pulled at the stitches in his side. "They bad?"

Kat raised her eyebrows and nodded. "Kinda." She smiled.

"Feel like shit." Daryl said before he did the same as Kat and pulled the bedsheets up.

She leaned over and straightened the pillows before she looked at him again. His arms were where the bulk of his muscle was as she quickly looked him up and down. No hard, tight six pack to speak of, his chest was a little more defined, though. He wasn't bad to look at. ___At all. _"I'll go grab some of your clothes." She smiled.

Daryl quickly nodded his head as he sat on the edge of the bed. He told her last night he didn't want to stay in here all day, that he'd rather be in his tent. She walked past him and out the door, greeting Hershel and Beth before she walked to his tent to get him a shirt and pants he could put on before he went back outside.

* * *

Patricia had grabbed another stray chicken on her way to the butchering shed where the others were in a large, brown potato sack. Inside the shed, she walked to the back and peered out a hole, where a piece of the wooden board that made up the walls had broken off. She saw Lori and Carl still finishing up their buckets a couple yards away. She turned and walked to the table in the middle of the room where the sack lay on top.

She had the chicken tucked up under her arm against her side, it's face behind her as she readjusted it to get a firmer grip. She tightened her arm over it's body to hold it in place while she took her other hand and grabbed one of it's feet. With a quick motion, she broke it's leg. The sound of the bones cracking was drowned out as it started squawking loudly, trying to get away. Patricia grabbed the other leg and did the same, the chicken struggling even more to get out of her grip.

She opened the bag on the table and put the chicken inside with the others before she picked it up and placed in it the wheel barrel she had waiting outside. Once she was sure no one would notice her, she began the walk to the barn. Luckily, from this angle, Lori and Carl wouldn't see her before she got over there.

She stopped before she got to the gate that separated the house's yard from the field the barn was in the middle of, seeing Nelly, the horse that had thrown Daryl, run across the path in front of her and towards the stables.

* * *

Kat had dug into Daryl's bag for a **cleaner** pair of jeans and a shirt and was starting to walk back towards the house when she caught a glimpse of Andrea sitting in a camp chair by the fire.

___Ah, shit. _Kat thought as she looked at the woman; Andrea had her back to her. She glanced at the house before looking down at Daryl's shirt. It was a plain, button up flannel, gray in color, but almost as if it had been a blue once; the color fading from being worn and washed so many times. ___We gotta find him some new shirts. _She thought as she played with the frayed fabric around the sleeves, or where the sleeves ******had been**, rather. She thought about going back into the house and acting like she'd never seen her. She didn't particularly ******want **to do this, but knew it was what needed to be done. She sighed before she started walking towards the fire.

"Andrea.." Kat softly said as she came up behind her.

Andrea was startled for a second at the sound of her voice before she turned to look at the small, young woman behind her. She hadn't expected to be this close to her again for awhile.

Kat gave her a brief smile before letting it fall and bringing her eyebrows together. "I, uh..I came to apologize..for yesterday." Kat shook her head with a small smile, again, as she came to Andrea's side, next to the chair.

Andrea smiled a little and held up her hands to stop her. "No." She said, shaking her head. "You were right. I-I shouldn't have taken the shot. Rick told me not to...I should've listened." Andrea nodded.

Kat looked down, playing with the buttons on Daryl's shirt as she shrugged. "Even so. I lose my temper. My emotions get the better of me sometimes. And I kinda feel like an ass so..Sorry." Kat let out a small laugh.

Andrea shook her head again, with a smile. "You care about him...I understand." She nodded. She admired Kat for coming to apologize. She wasn't sure if she, herself, would have had it in her to do that if she had been as angry as Kat was, only yesterday.

Kat looked at her, a small smile on her lips before she looked down, letting it fall as she returned her eyes to the woman.

"How is he today?" Andrea asked.

"He's fine. He'll be fine..Daryl's uh-" Kat chuckled a little. "He's got a hard head." She shook her head, making Andrea laugh.

* * *

Patricia had made her way up the ladder to the loft in the barn with the bag of chickens over her shoulder. She could already hear the moaning and growling on the ground below her. She walked to the edge of the loft and dumped the bag of live chickens out, sending them flapping their wings to the ground. Once there, they tried to get away, but their broken legs prevented them from doing so.

The Greene's had learned early on that breaking the chicken's legs would make it easier for the "people" in the barn to eat. Before, they would just put the chickens in there and the Sick would follow them around, their food always managing to escape their grasp as they chased them around the barn...It would've seemed comical any other time.

At the sound of the chicken's squawking and the flapping of wings, all of the Sick turned to look at their meal, snarling and growling as they made their way to the injured chickens to feed.

Patricia climbed down the ladder and was walking back from the barn with the wheel barrel, catching Glenn's eyes. He wasn't exactly sure what she had been doing over there. What did she need a wheel barrel for? How could they act so nonchalant about there being over a dozen dead people in their barn?

He had Shane's binoculars in his hands as he held them up to his eyes once Patricia was out of view and looked at the doors of the barn. He knew there were locks on them, but somewhere in his mind, he thought at any second, now, the Walkers would come barging out the big wooden doors of the barn and wreak havoc on their camp like some horror movie he'd seen.

Maggie walked over to him with a basket full of fruit and a brown paper bag on top. She stopped when she got close to him. "Could ya be more obvious?"

Glenn took the binoculars from his eyes and sighed as she sat the basket down between the two of them. He put the strap from the binoculars over his shoulder.

"Here, enjoy." Maggie said as she glanced around behind him, trying to see if anyone in his group had been wondering what he was looking at. None of them seemed to have noticed.

"Are you tryin to buy my silence with fruit?" Glenn asked as he looked down at the basket of peaches before looking at her.

"Of course not." Maggie said as she rested her hands on her hips. "There's also jerky." She added.

"Will you please tell me why your dad has a secret barn full of Walkers? It's creepy." He raised his eyebrows.

"Shh."

"You know that, right?" Glenn looked at her with wide eyes.

"Shhh." Maggie shushed him again. "Just trust me on this, okay?"

Glenn shook his head. "But I ******suck **at lying. I can't even play poker. It's too much like lying." Glenn whispered.

"You have to keep this to yourself. You have to. Please." Maggie said, before looking behind him at the group again, seeing Kat walking with Daryl towards his tent. Maggie turned and walked away, leaving Glenn there. He looked at the barn again before he leaned over, picking up the basket of fruit and the paper bag of jerky to pass the food out to everyone.

* * *

Daryl plopped down on the cot in his tent and took his boots back off, sitting them down next to him. He sat there and undid some of the top buttons on his shirt as Kat threw his dirty clothes in a pile in the other corner. It was hot outside already and he was almost regretting that he'd left the cool insides of the house. Hershel had offered to let him stay in there and rest for the day.

Kat turned around and looked at him. He was sitting there looking around the tent, almost ******looking **for something to do. She smiled. This was going to be torture for him. He seemed like a person that always needed to be doing something. "Hershel said rest." She pointed to his cot.

He looked up at her before he turned and brought his bare feet up onto his cot and laid down. "Yes, ma'am." He said as he reached behind him to fluff his pillow a bit. He wasn't normally one for taking orders, but from her, he'd make an exception.

"I'll come check on you later, okay?" She said, putting her hands in her back pockets while she watched him get comfortable, he was going to be there for awhile. He nodded before she walked away, going to check on her brothers and change her clothes.

"Hey." Glenn quickly stopped where he was and said to her as she walked out of Daryl's tent in front of him, almost colliding.

"Whoa. Hi, sorry." She smiled at him before she walked around him and towards her brother's tents.

Glenn walked over to Dale who was setting up the awning on the RV with T-Dog on the other side. "Dale, here's some peaches for ya." Glenn said, looking down at the fruit as he got to the old man.

Dale leaned over and reached into the basket. "Mm, thank you."

"Morning." Glenn said as Andrea walked out of the door of the RV, passing in front him. What was it with everyone just rushing in front of him today?

"Morning." She said as she walked into camp.

Glenn walked to the other side of the awning and over to T-Dog who took a break to rub the remnants of sleep from his eyes.

"'Sup?" T-Dog said as Glenn stopped in front of him.

"Nothing." Glenn said, wide eyed at the man. Had he seen him looking at the barn? Had he seen or heard him and Maggie talking? "Nothing's up. Why?" Glenn said as he looked between he and Dale. The older man walking closer to the two, seeing Glenn looking a little unnerved.

T-Dog grabbed the paper bag on top of the peaches and grabbed two pieces of jerky while Glenn looked back and forth between them. T handed the other piece to Dale while putting the bag back before Glenn looked down and grabbed the basket, walking away. Dale and T-Dog both looked at each other and shrugged before going back to securing the fold-out awning to the side of the RV.

Daryl had leaned over and grabbed the arrow from his crossbow's quiver before he laid back down. He had both legs bent at the knees, one in the air and the other lying on the cot, legs spread, as he lay there on his back. He'd only been in there for five minutes and was already bored out of his fucking mind. He looked to his side and began poking holes through the screen of his tent's window with the arrow's tip.

"Hey." Andrea said as she looked at him from the tent's doorway, interrupting him from his activity. He looked over at her as she walked inside. Daryl glanced down at the book in her hands before looking at her face again.

"This is not that great, but, um.." She said as she handed him the book. She figured with his injuries, Hershel told him to stay put and he would need something to do. He took it as she sat down on the second cot on the other side of his tent. ___Merle's._

Daryl sat the arrow down as he looked at the cover of the black book. ******The Case of the Missing Man**. He opened it up, flipping through some of the pages before he looked over at her. "What, no pictures?" He smiled a little.

Andrea grinned. "I'm so sorry. I feel like shit." She shook her head as she looked at him. The mark on the right side of his head where he'd smacked it against the rock was scabbed over with dried blood, but the left side of his head, where she'd shot him was bleeding slightly. She could see a red line of blood that had come down and stopped at his cheek bone.

"Yeah, you and me both." Daryl said as he set the book at his side and reached behind him to adjust his pillow, again.

"I don't expect you to forgive me, but if there's anything I can do..." Andrea trailed off as she shrugged her shoulders.

"You were tryin to protect the group." Daryl said as he grabbed his arrow again. He nodded his head at her. "We're good."

Andrea smiled again before she got up to leave. She walked out of the flap-door of his tent but turned when she heard him.

"But, hey," He stopped her, "shoot me again, you'd best pray I'm dead." He said as he twirled the arrow in his hands. Andrea smiled again before she walked off.

Daryl swung his legs over the cot before he sat up. He leaned over and grabbed his Busse from it's sheath. He started scraping the dirt out from under his finger nails as he laid back down. This was going to be a long ass day.

* * *

Glenn stopped at Daryl's tent, then the Carsen's and Carol's, handing out food before he made his way to Lori, by the fire. He set the basket down by a log as she walked closer. "What did Rick say?" He asked. Lori just looked at him as she knelt down by the flames. "You didn't tell him?" Glenn looked down at her as she stoked the fire. "Okay." Glenn said as he readjusted the binocular's strap on his shoulder. "But you have to." Glenn whispered as he leaned closer to her. "You're pregnant." He raised his eyebrows.

She stopped what she was doing and looked at him before glancing around the camp, making sure no one was within earshot. She leaned over and took the lid off the pot over the fire.

"You need vitamins, medicine, a nice pillow." Glenn said as she tried to ignore him. She turned and grabbed one of the jugs they had water in. Glenn walked to the log he'd set the basket next to and reached into the paper bag for two pieces of jerky. He turned around and walked back to Lori, holding both pieces out to her. "You can have my share." He said.

Lori looked at him. "Honey, I don't what your food, okay? Eat." She glanced down at the jerky before she started pouring water into the pot.

"**You** need to eat. You're too skinny. And if you're not gonna let Rick take care of you, then **someone** has to." Glenn said. Lori ignored him. She set the now empty jug, down. "Lori, you have a medical condition." Glenn raised his eyebrows at her. Lori smiled and titled her head at him. She sighed as she glanced at Rick and Shane over by Carol's Cherokee with Jimmy before she knelt down again to put the lid on the pot. Glenn looked over at them before turning back to her. "I'll make another run into town. Just tell me what you need."

"I need you to be quiet about this." Lori stood up. "All right? Please." Glenn just looked at her as he heard someone whistle. This felt wrong.

"Hey! Peach man." Shane shouted at them. Glenn turned around and picked up the basket before he started walking towards the men at the car.

"The creek flows south, past that farmhouse Daryl found. Maybe Sophia dropped the doll there, the current brought it downstream." Rick said as he looked at the map spread out on the Cherokee's hood.

"So what, you think she took this road here and then she went north?" Shane pointed at the map before he looked at Rick.

"Yeah." Rick nodded his head before he looked at Jimmy. "What's up that way?"

Jimmy was leaning against the car with his elbows on the hood, his head resting on one of his hands. He looked at the map. "A housing development. It went in maybe 10 years ago."

Rick looked at Shane. "Take a run up there after gun practice. Me and Kat will hold down the fort here, but take backup. After what went down with Daryl, I don't want anyone goin out alone. We stay in pairs."

"I'll take suggestions on a partner." Shane said as he looked into camp around at the people before Glenn walked up to them. He knew his best bet was going to be Kat or Dylan. But Rick had said this morning that they were staying with him to keep watch while the rest of them were gone.

"See how they do on the range, then take your pick." Rick said as Glenn stopped behind them with his basket of fruit. Shane and Rick both reached into the basket, each grabbing a peach before turning back to the map.

"Thanks." Jimmy said as Glenn walked over to him and he reached into the basket.

Glenn turned to Rick, looking at him for a few seconds. He wanted to tell him, but stopped. Glenn turned around and looked at Lori, still a couple yards away by the fire. She looked back at him with the large stick she had, holding it like a bat in one hand, almost daring him to say something.

He turned back around and saw Shane looking at him. "My binoculars." Shane said.

"Yeah, oh, yeah." Glenn said he would return them when he asked Shane for them, earlier. He set the fruit basket on the ground and took the binoculars from his shoulder. He walked around Rick and handed them to Shane before walking back over to the peaches and picked up the basket. "Okay, bye." Glenn said as he left, Rick and Shane both furrowing their brows at the young man as they watched him hurry away from them.

Shane set his binoculars on the car hood and looked at Rick. Shane chuckled as he looked down at the map again, Rick biting into his peach.

"We'd like to join you for gun trainin today." Beth said as she and Patricia walked up to the men.

"Hershel's been very clear." Rick said as he turned to face the women. "I can't involve any of you in what we do without his okay." Rick pointed at them.

"He doesn't like it, but he consented." Beth nodded.

"Otis was the only one who knew guns." Patricia said with her hands on her hips. "Now that he's gone, we gotta learn to protect ourselves. Her father saw the sense in that."

Shane heard a noise by the RV and looked over to see Carl in his dad's police hat, leaning against the side of the Winnebago. He had a long stick and was sharpening the end of it with his knife. Shane leaned off the car and started walking over to the boy as Rick and the women continued to talk.

"No offense, but I'll ask Hershel myself." Rick said to them. He didn't want to get in trouble with the old man, again.

"Dude, nice lid, man." Shane said, looking at the hat on his head as he walked over to Carl with a smile. "What's goin on?" Shane asked as he walked around to the front of the RV.

Carl set the stick down and walked behind Shane. "I wanna learn to shoot, too." Carl said as he slid the knife back into it's sheath on his side. "Can you teach me?"

Shane laughed as he sat down on the front bumper of the RV. "Well, man, that's- that's up to your parents." He said as he bit into the peach in his hand.

"Can you talk to them? They'll listen to you."

Shane chuckled as he chewed on the fruit in his mouth. He nodded his head and looked at the ground before looking back at the boy. "We'll see, okay?"

Carl nodded as he turned to walk away, but not before Shane stopped him at the sound of something metal hidden under Carl's shirt, clinking as he walked.

"Hey." Shane said. Carl stopped and looked at him with his eyes wide. If he heard it, he knew Shane had, too. "Lemme see what you got there." Shane looked at him.

Carl turned back to Shane and took a couple steps towards him before he lifted his denim button up t-shirt a few inches above his waistband, uncovering a revolver he had tucked into his pants.

Shane looked from the gun up to the boy. "Come on." He quietly said as he threw the peach he had been eating.

* * *

Carl was sitting on the bench of the picnic table with Lori standing in front of him. She'd taken the gun and was looking it over. She snapped the cylinder back into place after checking to see if there were bullets in it, which there weren't. Shane and Kat made sure to unload most of the guns when they went into the gun bag. Only a select few had bullets in them for emergencies, and the adults knew which ones they were.

"How the hell did this happen?" Lori said as she walked the few feet away back to the small group that was there, tucking the revolving in the back pocket of her pants. She looked at Rick as she came to stand between he and Shane.

"Well, it's my fault. I let him into the RV." Dale said as he held out his hand in Carl's direction. "He said he wanted a walkie, that you sent him for one."

"So on top of everything else, he lied." Lori raised her eyebrows and looked at Carl. He looked away from them and stared at the fire. "What's he thinkin?" Lori whispered to Rick, who shrugged and shook his head.

"He wants to learn how to shoot. He asked me to teach him." Shane said. "Now it's-it's none of my business, but I'm happy to do it. It's your call."

"Well I'm not comfortable with it." Lori raised her eyebrows and let out an exasperated laugh. She looked to Rick, hoping to see the same reaction but he just looked at her before turning to Shane, who sighed. "Oh, don't make me out to be the unreasonable one here. Rick?" She said.

Rick put his hands on his hips before he pointed to himself with one of his hands as he talked. "I know. I have my concerns too, but-"

"There's no **but**. He was just shot." She interrupted him. "He's **just** back on his feet and he wants a gun?" Lori looked between her husband and Carl with her eyebrows pulled together.

Rick nodded as she talked. "Better than him bein afraid of em." He said as he looked at her. "There are guns in camp for a reason. He should learn to handle them safely."

Lori couldn't help but glance to the two younger Carsen boys. They knew how to handle guns and Kat didn't care that they walked around with theirs before they got here. The boys weren't far apart in age, she figured Carl must've thought 'They can do it, why can't I?'

"I don't want ******my **kid walkin around with a gun." Lori said when she turned back to Rick.

"How can you defend that?" Rick asked. "You can't let him go around without protection." Rick held his hand out to gesture around at where they were and brought his eyebrows together.

Lori shook her head. "He's as safe as he'll ever be right here."

Rick looked at the ground over her shoulder and nodded his head.

"Look, everything you're sayin makes perfect sense. It feels wrong. I mean, I-I didn't feel good about him following you out into the woods. And I wish I'd said something. I should've gone with my gut."

"He's growin up," Rick raised his brows at her, "thank God. We gotta start- We gotta start treatin him more like an adult."

"Then he needs to act like one." Lori said, frustrated now. "He's not mature enough to handle a gun." She said, loud enough for Carl to hear as she looked at him.

Carl stood up from the picnic table and walked towards them. "I'm not gonna play with it, Mom. It-It's not a toy. I'm sorry I disappointed you, but I wanna look for Sophia. I wanna defend our camp. I can't do that without a gun."

"Shane's the best instructor I know." Rick said. "I've seen him teach kids younger than Carl." He said as he looked at Shane.

Lori looked at Rick for a couple seconds before she let out a small sigh and walked to Carl. She stood in front of him and grabbed his chin to make him look up at her. "You will take this seriously and you will behave responsibly. And if I hear from anyone in this camp that you are not livin up to our expectations-"

"He won't let you down." Rick stopped her. She dropped her hand from Carl as they both looked behind her at him.

"Yeah." Carl nodded as he looked back up to his Mom. Lori turned back to him and put both her hands on either side of his face before she walked back to Rick.

* * *

Everyone set off to get things ready for the group to go to the spot they would use for target practice. Rick had talked to Kat and let her know she and Dylan would watch over everything here with Dale. Since Carl was going with the group to learn to shoot, he was going with them now, instead of staying behind like he originally planned.

Jimmy was driving the blue 1966 Ford F100 they had on the property over to the group and would follow them to the range. Patricia and Beth were in the cab with him.

"Now if we're gonna do this, you listen to Shane." Rick said as he walked with Carl to the cars.

"Okay, Dad."

"All right? You be careful." Rick patted his shoulder.

"You comin?" Shane asked from the back of the Tucson while he loaded the back with the guns and ammunition. He was looking at Glenn who was hanging back in camp.

"I gotta help Dale..clean the spark plugs on the RV. He said he's gonna teach me mechanics. I should probably go look for him." Glenn started pointing around the camp.

Dale, who was a few feet behind Glenn leaning against the porch swing they had out in their camp area, spoke up. "You found me."

Glenn looked behind him, seeing the old man. ___Oh, God. Please, go with it. _Glenn thought. He hadn't thought that through very well.___See, I ____**suck**____ at lying._

Dale saw the look on Glenn's face and looked at Shane while he pointed at Glenn. "He's a good learner." He nodded.

Shane shook his head as he shut the back hatch of the Tucson and walked to the driver's side, getting in. Jimmy waited for Lori, who was driving Carol's Cherokee, to pull out before he followed her, Shane bringing up the rear in the Tucson. Glenn and Dale both waved as they started to pull off.

Dale walked over to Glenn with his rifle slung over his shoulder. "Spark plugs, huh?" Dale said. Glenn looked around for a second. "Wanna tell me what's goin on?" Dale asked him.

Glenn looked back into camp. Kat and Dylan were on top of the RV on watch, Sam and Kaleb were in their tent, and Daryl was in his tent, finally knocked out from the pain killer he'd taken earlier. No one would hear them talking. "You're old." Glenn closed his eyes. ___That came out wrong. _"You're-you know things." He corrected himself. He kept looking around as he talked. He couldn't look Dale in the eyes. "S-soo..what if somebody told you something that...somebody **else** should..know-"

"Glenn, stop being dramatic. Spit it out." Dale cut him off.

Glenn finally looked at him. "There's-there's Walkers in the barn and Lori's pregnant."

* * *

**Gun Training**

Carol stood behind everyone, looking through a small pair of binoculars into the trees surrounding them. Half looking for Sophia, half on watch for them. She didn't want to learn to shoot yet, but didn't want to stay behind.

The rest of the group was in a line about 30 feet from the fence posts as Shane knelt down in front of it, giving them a speech, while Rick set up the last of the cans and bottles behind him on the fence.

"Gun work is serious business. Even..You do everything right and accidents, they still happen. Ya always think before you pull the trigger. You think fast, but you think. Know the consequences," Shane said as he stood up, taking a few steps closer to everyone, "and never fire a weapon unless you have a very good reason. Now, it's gotta be a reason that you can live with..cause a death..well, that stays with you." Shane said as he looked at Carl, Lori doing the same as she sat next to him on top of the small table they brought with them to set the guns and ammo on. "That's forever." Shane said as he looked at the ground and then down the line of people before looking back. "Carl." He said, and pointed to the ground, several feet ahead of where the boy was already standing.

Carl cautiously stepped forward, standing in the place Shane had pointed at while they met there, Rick walking back to stand behind them. Shane gave him a small smile as he passed him.

"All right." Shane whispered as he came to Carl's side and bent down to be at the boy's level. "Line up the sights just like I told you, okay?" Shane said quietly to Carl.

Carl nodded an okay as he held up the small Bruni Olympic 6 they'd given him and aimed at one of the bottles in front of him on the fence post.

"You just gotta squeeze the trigger, don't jerk it. You'll feel a little kick." Shane said, Carl nodded again, understanding. "You ready?" Shane looked at him.

"Yeah." Carl said quietly, glancing at Shane before lining up the sights again.

Shane smiled and stood up to face everyone else while he took a few steps back from Carl to give him some room. "Okay." Shane raised his voice so everyone would hear him. "Carl's gonna show us how." He said as he and everybody watched the bottle the kid was aiming for.

A couple seconds passed before before Carl pulled the trigger, sending the bullet into the wooden fence post a few inches below the bottle. Not a bad shot for the first time he'd ever handled a gun.

Shane clapped his hands as Rick walked up to Carl from behind him. "That's good. Very good." He patted his son on the back before Shane walked up to him, and they both started walking behind everyone. "All right, three rounds a piece." Rick raised his voice. "Everyone stay alert. We're takin a risk with the noise, but a necessary one." He said as he started walking with a shotgun in his hands.

"Let's make these count." Shane shouted. "The range is hot." At the words, everyone took the guns they had been given and started aiming at the items on the fence.

Rick and Shane were walking behind the line of people that were practicing, Rick with the shotgun ever present at his side, just in case the noise brought on more than broken bottles.

Shane turned to his side and gave a nod to Rick as they passed Patricia, who hit her first bottle with one shot.

They decided they were only using a few weapons, so people were taking turns with the guns. Carl had stood back to watch his mother hit a couple targets, while T-Dog was waiting patiently behind the others for his turn. T-Dog stood behind Jimmy, who was holding the pistol he had, sideways, like in a few movies he'd seen, though not hitting anything when he pulled the trigger. T-Dog shook his head. "Hey, come on, man. Don't give me that gangsta shit."

Jimmy glanced over his shoulder at T, held the gun properly, and took aim at the same bottle he'd been shooting at before, hitting it on the first shot. He turned around and smiled at T-Dog who nodded at him.

"Attaboy." Shane said as he and Rick walked by, patting T-Dog on the shoulder, who reached for the gun from Jimmy.

They continued down the line to Andrea, at the end. She had given her gun to Jimmy after she'd taken a few shots. They both looked at the fence line out in front of her, seeing that none of the bottles in her spot were gone, even though she stood there with a smug look on her face.

"Don't be discouraged." Shane said as he and Rick stopped next to her. "You'll hit the target eventually."

Andrea looked at him, a faux look of offense on her face. "Who says I didn't hit my target?" She looked back at the sign post on the fence she had been aiming at. Rick and Shane both followed her gaze, Shane bringing his binoculars to his eyes for a better look.

**NO TRESPASSING**

The sign read. Right in the middle of the "O" were 3 perfectly placed bullet holes. Shane looked over at Rick who raised his eyebrows at him, impressed.

Shane grabbed the black Beretta 92FS he had tucked in his pants and held it out to her. It was the same gun Kat had as her primary firearm, but her's was flashier with it being silver, the only black on it being the gun grip. "Try this one. It's heavy." He said as she took it from him. "You get better balance, twice the rounds."

She turned the gun over in her hands and looked at Rick. He tilted his head at her, giving her the go ahead as he and Shane took a few steps back to stand behind her. She held the handgun out in front of her and took aim at one of the cans on the fence post. She paused for a few seconds, lining up the shot before she squeezed the trigger, sending the can off the fence.

"I'd say she's got the hang of it." Shane said as he looked on at the fence before turning to Rick.

"I'd say she's ready for the advanced class." Rick chuckled as he and Shane smiled. Rick walked closer to Andrea. "It might be worth your while after the rest of us head back to camp."

Shane came up to her other side as she looked at Rick. "Sure. Why not?" She nodded. Rick left them and walked over to Lori, who was handing the Bruni Olympic 6 back to Carl.

"How's it feelin?" Shane asked Andrea as she looked down at the Beretta in her hands.

"I like the weight." Andrea said as she looked up at him for a second. "So you decided not to leave us." She said as she ejected the gun's clip. "Something change your mind?" She said as she walked away.

Shane stared at the ground for a couple seconds before turning his eyes to the far end of the line, seeing Carl taking another shot, hitting the can he'd been aiming for.

"Got it." He smiled as he turned to his dad, who was kneeling down next to him.

"That's a great shot." Rick said as he patted him on the back and stood up, walking over to Lori who was standing a few feet behind them. Shane looked back at the fence line, watching the cans being knocked over and glass bottles breaking before he walked back down the line.

* * *

**The Farm**

Hershel had went out to the barn to feed the horses and stopped to take Nelly's riding gear off when he noticed she was back.

Dale had walked to the stables a few minutes after seeing the other man make his way there. His stood in the doorway and watched as Hershel looked her over. "Nervous Nelly." He said from the entry way before he walked inside. "She find her way home?"

"Found her in her stall this mornin." Hershel answered as he put her right rear foot down and gave her a pat before he bent down to lift her front one.

Dale grabbed some hay out of the feeding basket as he got closer and held it under Nelly's nose, who happily munched on it. He stood in front of the horse as he looked at Hershel, who was on the side of her. "I love your fields." He said. Hershel gave him a brief smile. "Took a long walk this morning. I ended up...by the barn." Dale raised his eyebrows at him. Hershel looked at him for a second before he went back to brushing Nelly. "I heard the moans." Dale said.

"That's unfortunate." Hershel said to him, not meeting his eyes.

"I'm sure you have your reasons for keeping this a secret."

"I saw the broadcasts before they stopped, saw the irrational fear, the atrocities, like the incident at my well." Hershel glanced up at him for a second as he brushed down Nelly's legs.

"We put down a Walker." Dale said.

Hershel raised his eyebrows at him. "You killed a person."

"Well, if you watched the same broadcasts I did, you saw Walkers attack, **kill**." Dale raised his eyebrows at him again. "They're dangerous." Dale nodded.

"A paranoid schizophrenic is dangerous, too. We don't shoot sick people." Hershel said, trying to get him to understand their way of thinking.

"With all due respect, you are cut off from the outside world here. But I've seen people that I **cared** about die and come back..and they're not people." Dale said the last three words slowly.

"My wife and stepson..are in that barn." Hershel said as he looked at him again, silent for a couple seconds. "They're people." He looked away from Dale as he continued to brush Nelly.

"I'm sorry." Dale said. And he truly was. He lost his wife before all of this had ever happened. He hadn't needed to live through the pain of seeing a person he loved so dearly, come back, but only as a shell of the person you once knew. "L-Let me help." Dale said as he took a step closer to Hershel, stepping back in front of Nelly's face. "I'll-I'll speak to Rick. He's a- he's a good man..We can make the barn more secure, keep everybody safe." Dale offered.

"The barn is secure." Hershel said, looking at the ground before meeting Dales eyes. "Keep this to yourself if you want to help..Rick is a man of conscience, but are you so sure about everyone in your group?"

Hershel could tell by the look that came over Dale's face, that, no. No, he wasn't.

* * *

The whole group, save for Shane and Andrea, were now back at the farm. Either tucking themselves away in their tents, relaxing in the RV, or getting things around for lunch. Kat and Dylan were still on watch on top of the Winnebago. They'd decided after Dale and Carol fixed up something for lunch that T-Dog and Rick would take over until evening.

Lori noticed Hershel mending the fence that separated the barn from the house and walked over to thank him. "Afternoon." She said when she got closer. She was on the house's side, while he was inside the fence, closest to the barn.

"I take it your boy did well." Hershel said. He had seen that the boy was all smiles when he bounced out of the car and ran to Sam and Kaleb to tell them how he did when they'd all returned.

Lori turned around to look at Carl. He was in the camp with Sam, Kaleb, T-Dog and Glenn. Boasting about how well he'd done for his first time shooting. "Not bad, actually." Lori turned back to Hershel and laughed a bit as she messed with the fencing.

"Be grateful you don't have a daughter." Hershel stood back up for a second and laughed. "If only things were as simple as wantin to shoot."

"Carl's gettin that chance, thanks to you. And I'm eternally grateful..for what you did and your hospitality. We'll earn our keep." Lori nodded.

Hershel stood up again, slightly shaking his head. "I appreciate that, but with Carl gettin better, I imagine you'll be movin on soon." Hershel said as he leaned over to put another nail into the post to hold the wiring down.

Lori just looked at him, not sure what to say. They were leaving?

"Fort Benning, I hear." Hershel said as he stood up to look at her before he reached into his toolbox for another nail. Lori gave him a subtle nod as she backed away, walking back towards their camp.

* * *

**Gun Training**

Shane had tied a rope from the branch of a tree and had a large log in the noose at the bottom, swaying back and forth. A moving target, for Andrea to try and hit.

Andrea lowered the gun again with a sigh as the log swung back to Shane. He grabbed it, looking it over. "Still a virgin."

"The target's too small." Andrea held her hands out at her sides.

"Come on, that's crap. Half-hour ago I saw you nail a bull's eye at 25 feet." Shane said as he looked at her.

"It wasn't moving." Andrea shook her head at him.

Shane had an amused smile on his face. "You think a Walker's gonna hold still for ya? Focus and reload, go again." He said as he pushed the log away from him, sending it swinging back and forth, again. He walked back over and stood a couple feet behind her, off to her side as she tried to aim at the moving log.

She pulled the trigger, missing again. She brought her arms back to her sides as she let out a frustrated sigh.

'Uh-oh, did I piss you off?" Shane said, resting his hands on his belt. "Come on, girl, you've got Walkers all around you. They're in the woods. They're in the RV. You're gonna need more than a damn screwdriver." Shane taunted her as he stepped closer, trying to get her riled up. More than once, it'd proven to give him better aim if he was angry and adrenaline was rushing.

"Stop badgering me." Andrea looked at him, raising her voice, slightly.

Shane laughed. "You're too damn emotional." Shane said. She looked back at the log as he raised his voice. "You need to shut it down. Take all that guilt, take that fear, that bein pissed off, take it out." He made a sweeping motion with his hand.

Andrea turned to him. "Right, cause you're so calm."

Shane quickly unholstered his firearm and aimed at the moving log. He pulled the trigger once, sending bits of wood flying from the spot on the log where the bullet had hit. "See that?" He lowered his gun and looked at her as she watched the swinging log. "See, I can be pissed off. I could be whistlin "Dixie" and I'll always hit the target. But you, God, you shoot like a damn girl." Andrea looked at him, again. "And you stand here and you point your weapon. Point like you point your finger. Do not think about it. I'm talkin about muscle memory, girl- muscle memory." Shane raised his voice and clapped his hands together as he walked back over to the log. He gave it a strong push before he stepped back. "Now go on, shoot that son of a bitch." He said as he walked back over to her.

Andrea aimed and pulled the trigger. "He's comin for you!" Shane shouted. Another gunshot. "He's 10 feet away! He's nine feet!" Another. "Right there, that's the Walker that got Amy. Now you shoot that son of a bitch! Shoot him!" Andrea didn't pull the trigger. She turned to him, a look of horror on her face at what he'd just tried to shake her with. She took a few steps back from him before she turned and walked away, towards the road. Shane ran his hand over his head and turned around. He looked at her over his shoulder while he started walking in the opposite direction and back over to the Tucson.

* * *

**The Farm**

Rick was standing at the picnic table in camp with the gun bag on top. He reached in and grabbed the first handgun his fingers found. He pulled it out and ejected the clip as he saw Lori walking over to him.

Lori looked around as she got closer, no one to hear them talking or pay any attention to them. "Hershel expects us to leave?" She whispered as she put her hand on the table and leaned against it. Rick put the gun down and stared at it for a second before he looked at her. "Does anybody else know?" She asked.

"Not yet." Rick said quietly, as they looked behind them, seeing T-Dog walk over to the fire pit. Rick reached into the bag for another gun to unload.

"Were you gonna tell me?" Lori asked as she turned back to him.

"Of course."

"When? How long have you known?"

"Not long. You don't need to worry about this." Rick said as he looked at her, setting the clip he'd just ejected next to the other one.

"How can you expect me not to worry? We have shelter here and food and water and medical care."

Rick set the gun down and turned to face her, fully. "I've been talking with Hershel. It's not carved in stone."

"He thinks it is." Lori said. "We have to **fix this**." Lori said as Rick looked down, nodding. "People are settling in here. They'll be devastated."

"I know. I'm working on it."

"Maybe I can talk to him, too, and plead our case." Lori raised her eyebrows.

Rick held his hands up to her, that was the last thing they needed. "No, things are uneasy. The best thing right now is to give Hershel his space." Rick said, holding his hand up in the direction Hershel was, still tending to the fence.

Lori just stared at him, wide eyed. What were they going to do if they had to leave this place? She had a baby on the way. It would be a death trap anywhere else.

"Don't look at me like that." Rick said to her, taking a few steps back.

Lori put on a blank expression and looked down at the picnic table. "Like what?"

"Like you're scared. Like you don't trust me. I can take it from everyone else, but not from you." Rick said and looked behind him at T-Dog and Carol by the fire pit. He looked back at Lori.

"I don't understand how you could keep somethin like this from me." Lori shook her head at him. Rick just looked away from her before looking back down at the guns on the table. "Carl's barely on his feet. And Sophia's missing. And Daryl and T-Dog are hurt. How can we leave?" Lori whispered, her emotions starting to get the better of her as she tried not to cry.

"It's not what I want either, but if-if we have to go..I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you and Carl are okay." Rick said, putting his hand on the side of her face. "We will get by. We will." He said as he looked into her eyes. She stared back at him for a second before he nodded his head at her.

"Okay." She shook her head in agreement as he pulled his hand away. She stood there with him while he went back to unloading the guns.

* * *

**Gun Training**

Andrea was walking down the road that led towards the farm when Shane caught up to her in the Tucson. He slowed down next to her as she kept walking on the passenger side of the vehicle.

"Come on, lemme give you a lift." Shane said out the open window.

"My feet work **just** fine." Andrea said, looking straight ahead of her, barely acknowledging him, other than to tell him to screw off.

She kept walking as he crept at a snails pace in the car next to her. He stepped on the gas and pulled the car over a few feet in front of her, making her stop before she simply walked around. Shane put the Tucson in park before he opened the door and stood up, leaning onto the door as he watched her walk around the car. He smiled at her, trying to lighten the mood a bit, but she just looked at him with a scowl that might have been Daryl worthy.

"Hey look, I'm just trying to get you rattled, all right, give ya an idea what it's like when the shit starts to fly." He leaned off the car and started walking after her when he saw that she wasn't stopping.

"Is that an apology?" She turned her head towards him as she continued down the road.

Shane took his navy blue Police cap off his head as he neared her. He sighed. "I crossed the line when I brought Amy into it, so. Yeah, it's an apology." He said as he caught up with her.

Andrea stopped and turned to look at him. "You're a real dick sometimes."

"Yeah, I acknowledge that. I'll tell you what: I got a lead on Sophia. I'm gonna go check it out. Why don't you come with me, be my backup?" Shane said as he came to stand in front of her. She looked at him for a second before she nodded. He jerked his head back in the direction of the car. "Come on."

* * *

**The Farm**

Daryl had woken up from his Opioid induced nap and had his arrow in his hands again as Kat walked into his tent with two plates.

"Will you stop doing that?" She said as she walked in.

"Why?" Daryl brought his eyebrows together but let the arrow lay on his bare chest as he looked at her. He'd unbuttoned the rest of his shirt and it was just loosely on his shoulders now.

She looked at him then to all of the holes he poked into the screened window next to his cot. "Fine, keep doing it." She shrugged her shoulders. "But don't come cryin to me when you get eaten by mosquitoes from now on, while I sleep in my bug-free tent." She smiled.

_Well, shit._ Daryl thought as he looked back at the window, the screen full of holes around where his head was. He wasn't going to read. He couldn't do what he **wanted** to do with all these people around..He had nothing else to do and hadn't been thinking about what the consequences of his boredom would be when he was poking holes in the screen. At least now he knew. _Mosquito bites._

"Brought you some lunch." Kat said as she held out a plate to him. A single slab of cooked ham on it. _Better than nothin._

Daryl nodded a thank you to her as he got himself in a sitting position and grabbed the plate from her.

She pointed her finger at the side of her own head, where his gunshot wound was on his. "Bleeding a little." She said as she moved her finger in an up and down motion next to her eye.

Daryl took his finger and wiped at his temple, pulling away little flakes of dried blood. It must've been there for awhile. He grabbed his red handkerchief from the floor next to his crossbow and wet it with his tongue before he wiped at his head.

She looked at the empty cot she was standing in front of, next to his. It had been his brother's. "You mind?" She pointed to it.

Daryl looked at her face before he looked at the cot, briefly, before setting the handkerchief back down. The cot still had Merle's pillow and blanket he'd been using on it. He was taken aback that she thought to ask. Andrea had just sat down earlier, paying it no mind. It didn't bother him at the time, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it now, after Kat had indirectly pointed that out. But he was grateful she had enough respect for another person's space to ask for permission.

He shook his head, no, at her before she sat down and handed him a fork. He took it from her as she started cutting her food into pieces with the side of hers. Daryl stuck his fork into the middle of his slice of ham and brought it to his mouth, taking bites off of the whole slab as he watched her pop a cube into her mouth. He put his food back down on the plate while he chewed and watched her. She looked around his tent before she turned her head to look outside the doorway, out into camp and beyond it, over the fields of the Greene's farm.

"Some lunch date, huh?" She looked back at his face with a closed mouth smile as she chewed her food.

Daryl pulled a corner of his mouth up as he turned his eyes back to his plate and nodded.

Outside, Dale was cooking the last two slices of ham for he and Carol, as he had already cooked for everyone else that was hungry. He stood up from the fire and walked over to Carol, who was waiting with her empty plate. He scooped the ham from the frying pan with a spatula and placed it on her plate. He turned and put the frying pan on the table to put the final piece of meat on a plate for himself as Carol walked away, giving Lori a small smile as she passed her to go eat her lunch in the RV with the others.

Lori's stomach started doing flips as the scent of the cooked ham wafted around her as Carol went past. She grabbed some of her long brown locks and held them to her nose, breathing in the scent of her clean hair as she walked away, towards the edge of camp.

Dale, who noticed, took this as the perfect opportunity to act on what Glenn had told him, earlier. He put the spatula down on the table and followed her.

Lori went behind the tents and sat down on a boulder near the fence as she took deep breaths, waiting for the nausea to pass. She looked up, to see Dale a few feet behind her. She gave him a small smile as he came up to her side.

He looked out over the field before looking at the ground in front of him. "My wife was pregnant once." He said. Lori looked at him. He knew_._ Why else would this be the first thing that came out of his mouth? Not just, 'oh, not feeling well?' "She miscarried," He continued, "and we didn't try again after that."

"I'm so sorry." Lori said as she looked away from him.

"The thing that I remember most is how nauseated she became..at the smell of cooking meat." He said. Lori lightly scoffed, remembering. She was the same way when she was pregnant with Carl. She smiled as she looked out over the field. "And she was a-she was a meat-eating gal- my wife, but with the pregnancy...That Thanksgiving..the turkey-" He raised his eyebrows. Lori laughed a little as she smiled. It had been Christmas when she was early in her pregnancy with Carl. They had a whole cooked ham for Christmas dinner. But Lori was in the bathroom most of the evening. "-she-she couldn't be in the house for two days until it was aired out, poor thing." Dale smiled.

"Glenn told you?" Lori said as she finally looked at him, again.

"What did you expect? The boy has no guile." Dale smiled at her while he shook his head.

"I haven't told Rick." Lori said as she looked up at him. "I can't."

"Because of, uh, Shane?" Dale said as he knelt down next to her.

Lori's eyes widened. "Was it that obvious?" She whispered.

"No, no, I don't think anyone knew. I didn't, not-not for sure." Dale raised his eyebrows as he told her.

"Look, I thought my husband was dead." Lori said, her voice cracking. Dale nodded at her as she looked out over the field. "And I felt like I'd died with him. And I-" Lori shrugged, slightly. "I wanted to feel something- anything...And now I hate myself for it."

"And the baby?" Dale asked as he scooted himself onto the rock next to hers.

"It's Rick's." She nodded, then looked out over camp before turning to him. "None of the rest of it matters."

"Then what's your concern?" Dale smiled at her and shook his head.

"Memories are what keep me goin now. Memories of what life used to be. And I-" She shrugged while she looked at him with a sad smile. "I've got a deep well to draw on. I still remember joy. But I think Carl's well is already runnin dry. And this **baby**- the baby wont have any good memories at all," Lori shook her head, "only fear and pain." She said as she looked out over the field beyond the fence.

Dale put his hand on her shoulder and held his other hand up to her. "You can't think like that." Lori turned to him with a pained smile and tears in her eyes. "We can still find joy and we can still take strength from each other." Dale said.

"Do you really think this baby has a chance, that it could grow up and live a happy life? Look me in the eye and tell me that my baby will grow up to be your age and-and die happy..Tell me..Tell me you believe that." Lori said to him as he slowly looked away from her. She nodded with a smile and put her hand on his knee as she got up and walked away.

* * *

Glenn had one of their axes and was cutting up fire wood on a stump by the pit when he saw Lori walking up to him. She had went to her tent to think and was taking him up on his offer. He fidgeted as she came closer, looking around them before she stood in front of him.

"I'm sorry. I'm s- it just came out. And it was Dale. I-" Glenn said, waving his hand around.

"It's okay." Lori stopped him. "I never shoulda put you in that position." Lori pulled her brows together and looked down at her hands. "I've been thinkin about what you said about, um, about needin help. And you're right that I do." She looked back up at him.

"Name it. Yeah."

"If you're still willing to make a run into town for me.." Lori nodded.

"I'm your man." Glenn smiled.

"Thank you." Lori sighed and stepped closer, wrapping her arms around him.

Glenn put his arms around her and gently pat her back. "It's okay. It's not a big deal, really."

"Okay." Lori whispered as she pulled away. She gave his arm a squeeze before she turned and walked back to her tent to make a list.

* * *

Kat had went to get the antiseptic from Hershel, extra bandages and surgical tape to change the coverings on Daryl's wounds. She was now kneeling next to his cot while he lay on his side, fidgeting, as she lightly rubbed the antiseptic cream over his stitched up wounds on the front and back of his side.

Daryl watched her screw the cap back on the tube of cream and cut the bandage she had in half. "Know what you're doin?" He asked. He hadn't said a word to her since she came back in and told him to just take his shirt off.

"Not that hard to put a bandage on." Kat looked up from her task and smiled at him. She shrugged. "I remember a few things from the DSO..Just basic medical training in case you or your partner were injured out in the field." She scooted closer to him again after she'd put half of the strip of tape on an edge of the white cloth. She placed it over the wound on his front and gently pressed the rest of the tape to his skin. "I could set a broken leg or give someone stitches if I absolutely needed to." She grabbed the surgical tape and placed another strip on the bottom to hold the bandage in place while she started on the bandage for the wound on the other side.

"Ever need to?"

She laughed a little. "No." She said as she stood up to get better access to the back of him. "Worst that's really happened..Leon got shot on our last job, but it just grazed his arm..We were on our way out and still being shot at so we didn't really have time to do anything." She leaned over to grab the tape to secure the bottom. "So I just tore the bottom of my shirt to tie around it for him on the fly until we got outta there..So none of it's really came into play." She said as she pressed the tape to his skin.

"Sounds lucky." Daryl said. Trying to ignore the goosebumps he felt spreading when her fingers touched him.

She smiled. Their higher-ups always joked about Leon's consistent luck in any shitty situation. "Yeah...Leon's been through worse and always comes up smelling like roses." Kat stood up and grabbed the tape and cream to take back to Hershel, thinking back to Leon. He'd had her back for years. She looked at him like an older brother, a mentor. She hoped he was okay. He'd been through this before in Raccoon City; A land of the dead. He had to be all right. "Hopefully his luck hasn't run out."

* * *

**Town**

"You didn't have to come." Glenn said as he and Maggie rode the horses through the grass, walking onto the road into town. "You could hate me from a distance...Please say something."

Maggie ignored him as the sound of the horses hooves clapping on the asphalt filled the silence for a few more seconds.

"Maggie, I-"

"I asked for your trust and you betrayed it." Maggie raised her voice as she looked to her side at him. "Now my dad's pissed at me." She looked back ahead of them towards the pharmacy. "Your turn."

Glenn glanced over at her but kept his eyes in front of him for the most past. A few seconds passed before he said anything.

"Soo..your dad thinks they're sick?" Glenn looked at her. "You agree with that, even after what you saw at the well?"

"I'm not sure what I saw at the well." Maggie said.

"Yes, you are." Glenn said, his own mind going back to his near dear experience two days ago. They stopped the horses in front of the pharmacy and got off. "Look, if you'd seen Atlanta, you would not have a barn full of Walkers." Glenn said as they walked to the posts in front of the pharmacy that held up the awning to tie the horses to.

"I wish you'd stop callin them that." Maggie looked at him while she tied a loop around the post.

Glenn looked at the ground for a second. "What do you call em?" He said as he watched her tie the rope in another knot.

"Mom..Shawn..Mr. and Mrs. Fischer, Lacey, Duncan." Maggie said as Glenn tied his horse to the post.

_But..they really aren't them anymore._ She looked at the ground before she turned around and walked into the pharmacy. Glenn followed her after he secured the rope to the post.

He stepped inside and started looking at the shelves at the front of the store.

"What does she want now?" Maggie asked as she passed him.

"I can't say." Glenn said as he looked down at the paper, glancing at the basic things he could remember.

Maggie stopped her walk to the back of the pharmacy and scoffed. She turned around with an exasperated smile on her face and looked at him, taking a few steps closer. "So one of them asks you to keep your mouth shut-"

Glenn turned and held out Lori's paper to her. "Crawl out of my butt," Glenn said, remembering something similar Daryl said to Dale on the highway when he gave him flak for letting Maggie take Lori when Carl was shot, "..help me look, please."

Maggie took the paper for him and looked through the list. He didn't know what the last item was so he needed her help anyway. Maggie looked up at him after she read through everything. She turned around, walking to the back of the store. "You've got to be kidding me."

Glenn pulled his eyebrows together, a little confused, as he watched her walk to the back to the pills. He turned around with a sigh and started grabbing things off the shelves.

Maggie grabbed one of the small baskets and set it on the counter as she rounded the corner to the shelves that held all of the medical supplies. She started picking up bottles and reading the labels.

Glenn walked back to the front of the store, throwing the couple items he found into the basket he had set next to the door. He turned and walked to the side wall, looking through the items on the shelves there.

Maggie moved onto another shelf, picking up several bottles and putting them back down when she didn't see what she was looking for. The last one she picked up, she recognized. She read down the label for what is was used for and pulled her eyebrows together. She didn't have long to think about it when a cold, gray hand locked around her wrist, grabbing her from the other side of the shelf. The Walker snarled as it yanked at her arm.

"Help!" Maggie yelled as she tried to pull her arm out of the Walker's grip. "Glenn, help! No! Oh, God!" She yelled as the Walker pulled again, shaking the two thin shelves that were between them, sending various bottles to the floor on either side.

Glenn rushed around the shelves he was in the middle of to see the back of the store. He had a frontal view of what was going on ahead of him. Maggie was on one side, with two small, open shelves between them, with the Walker on the other. And it had a vice grip on her wrist, trying to pull her through. "Maggie!"

"Glenn, help me!" Maggie yelled as she tried to pull away. "Get it off me! Help! Glenn!"

Glenn made his way to the back, quickly looking through the isles for anything he could use as a weapon. The Walker was too close to her right now, he couldn't use his machete; He might hit her. With Maggie's screams getting louder and more insistent, he knew he didn't have time to look for a good weapon. He grabbed the wooden shelf of the nearest stand up rack of supplies, throwing the items on top of it, off, and ran to the back of the store.

"Get it off me! Help!" Maggie said as she Walker finally realized it was easier to walk around the shelves separating them. Maggie tried to push it away from her as she backed up.

Glenn hopped up on the pharmacy's counter that was between him and Maggie. He waited for her to push the Walker back again and he took a swing at the thing's head, sending blood spurting out of it's neck where the corner of the wooden shelf had hit it.

The Walker let go of her wrist as it fell back onto the floor. Maggie sobbed as she looked at the dead body on the ground.

Glenn put the board down and jumped from the counter, grabbing her shoulders, looking at her arms. "Did it get you? Did it bite you?" Glenn asked, he was frantic. Maggie sobbed as he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms protectively around her as she cried.

"Glenn!" She yelled when she saw the Walker getting up from her view over his shoulder.

He quickly let go of her and turned around to see the Walker on it's feet, it's head hanging only by a small section of flesh on it's neck. Glenn had hit it with enough force to sever its spinal cord and cut through most of the tissue. But it didn't matter. It's brain was still intact.

Glenn grabbed the Gator Machete Pro from it's sheath on his side. He brought it over his head and swung the point of it into the Walker's temple before pulling it out. The Walker fell back to the floor, blood still spilling from it's neck. It was still making noise, gurgling, as Glenn walked up to it and knelt over it's body. He swung the machete, again and again at it's head, until the only sounds were Glenn's grunting from the force he was using, the sickening sound as the Walker's head was being struck and Maggie's whimpers from behind him. Glenn stood up, panting, when he was sure that Walker wouldn't be getting up again. He turned around and looked at Maggie who threw her arms back around him as she cried.

* * *

**Searching**

Shane pulled the Tuscon into the housing development and put it in park as he and Andrea looked around. The place looked abandoned. There weren't even any Walkers from what they could see. They both got out of the car, Shane putting his Police cap back on and Andrea putting the loaded clip into the Beretta she had. She tucked the gun into the back of her pants while Shane held his binoculars to his eyes, scanning over the houses and cars around them.

"We're gonna have to go house to house." Shane whispered to her as they walked down the street. "We'll start at the far end and we'll work our way back."

"If Sophia got this far, she has a real shot, don't ya think?" Andrea looked over at him as they made their way through the complex.

Shane just looked at her. He didn't say anything as they continued walking. He thought this was a waste of everybody's time. They had far more important things they could be doing. _No way that girl is still alive._

* * *

**The Farm**

It was late in the afternoon when Maggie and Glenn were walking back to camp from the stables after putting the horses away. Maggie was long past the grief stricken phase of almost being killed. Now she was livid. She slammed the iron gate behind her as she came inside the fence, leaving Glenn to open it back up to let himself inside.

"Hey!" Maggie shouted as she quickly walked towards the Survivors' camp with a paper bag in her hands.

Lori turned around from the table she was standing at with the baskets of clothes, to look at her. After the clothes had been washed, no one had folded them, they would just grab them from the baskets they were in. So she had taken it upon herself to start folding the garments for everyone.

"We got your stuff." Maggie said as she came closer to her. Lori glanced down at Maggie's white shirt, seeing a spot of blood, when she could take her eyes away from the young woman's anger ridden face.

"Maggie, hang on, please." Glenn said as he jogged to catch up to her.

Lori turned to look around the camp. "Come- Come on in here." Lori said and tilted her head to the Grimes' tent a few feet behind her as she turned around and started walking towards it.

"Why? Nothin to hide." Maggie said as she took a few steps closer and came to a stop a few feet from Lori. "We got your special delivery right here." Maggie said as Lori turned around. Maggie reached into the bag, taking out one item at a time and throwing it on the ground in front of her. "We got your lotion, got your conditioner," Maggie dumped the whole bag on the floor, "your 'Soap Opera Digest."

"Maggie." Lori said, a look that was a cross between horrified and confused on her face.

"Next time you want somethin, get it your damn self. We're not your errand boys." Maggie said as bent over and picked up the packet of pills that were on the ground next to her.

"Honey, I-" Lori started.

"And here's your abortion pills." Maggie threw them at Lori's feet. She turned around, pushed past Glenn and stormed off to the far side of the yard.

Glenn looked at Lori for a few seconds but didn't say anything. He turned around and walked after Maggie. Glenn took his cap off his head as he followed her over to the trees they'd built the memorial for Otis under.

"That was not cool." Glenn said as he walked around the trees and came in front of her when she went around the other side.

"Which part? The part where that bitch almost got us killed?" Maggie turned around and looked at the land beyond the fence, taking a few steps towards it as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I shoulda gone alone. If you wanna blame anybody, blame me."

"Right, take the blame." Maggie said as she turned to face him again. "You know, for a smart guy, you're really stupid." She said as she turned back around.

Glenn pulled his eyebrows together. "Okay, I'm..confused," He said as Maggie turned around and started walking to him, "because I think you just paid me a compliment, but you made it s-"

Maggie grabbed either side of his face and kissed him, cutting off any other words he was about to say. She put a hand on his shoulder while she held onto the back of his head with the other. "I've already lost three of the people that I care about most in this world." She said when she pulled back.

"Maggie-"

"Shut up." She took her hand off the back of his head and held her finger up to him. "You're smart. You're brave. You're a leader. But you don't know it. And your friends don't wanna know it. They'd rather have you fetchin peaches. There's a dead guy in the well? Send Glenn down. You're Walker bait. I can't take you becoming one of them." She titled her head to the space outside the fence; Whatever was out there, lurking. She turned to the house and walked away.

* * *

**Searching**

Shane kicked in the door to the fourth house they were going through. He held his gun out in front of him as he took a few steps inside, scanning the room he'd opened up as the light from the sun flooded in through the doorway.

Andrea stepped in behind him, her gun ready. "Sophia?" She called out. "Anyone?"

"Shh, shh, shh, shh." Shane said to her, listening for anything.

Andrea took a few steps to the far side of the room, walking through the kitchen. "Sophia?"

Shane was walking on the other side of the room, making sure it was clear before he took a few steps towards Andrea. They both looked down where the hallway was, seeing a piece of drywall that was blocking it. A hole had been broken through the bottom of it and it was lined with blood.

"They walled off the hallway?" Andrea said as they looked at the drywall and down at the hole.

"They tried to make a stand here." Shane said as he walked closer to it. He bent down and peeked through the hole, making sure there was nothing on the other side. He stood up and nodded at Andrea before he squatted down and ducked through. Andrea followed suit, tiny pieces of drywall falling on them as they squeezed through the hole.

Shane held his gun out in front of him again. He glanced in the rooms on either side as they made their way down the short hallway. A horrible scent hit them the further they walked. They looked into a room off to their left, what had once been a nursery. There were at least 10 bodies of deceased Walkers in a pile on the floor.

"Sophia?" Andrea softly called again as they walked past the room and down a flight of stairs.

Shane titled his head at her to watch their back as they got to the bottom of the blocked stairs. There was an open door off to the side but the doorway at the foot of the stairs had been blocked. Shane put his foot on the barricade; a table, ironing board and a baby-gate, and pushed them out of the way. They stepped through the open door and into the garage of the house.

There were flies buzzing around at the scene of burnt, decaying flesh from the numerous bodies that were on the floor in the garage. Shane and Andrea both lowered their weapons as they stepped further inside the room. The garage's walls and everything inside was blackened with soot.

Shane took off his cap as he looked around at the different bodies, strewn across the room. They were all burnt beyond recognition, no signs if they were people or Walkers when the fire was started.

Andrea held the back of her hand to her mouth as she looked around, trying to ignore the smell. She brought her hand back down. "She was never here...was she?" Shane looked at her out of the corner of his eye while she squatted down. "I don't know how to tell Carol this was another dead end."

A familiar sound turned Shane's attention to the garage door that was pulled up, several feet off the ground. He bent down to look outside, seeing several pairs of shambling feet accompanying the snarls and growls coming from outside. Shane put his cap back on as he stood up.

The first Walker started banging on the outside of the garage door. "Come on, let's move." Shane patted Andrea's shoulder and turned around to head back up the stairs and to the hallway. He and Andrea got up the stairs before the first few Walkers figured out they could crawl under the raised door.

Shane and Andrea went through the hole in the drywall and walked out the front door, seeing more Walkers coming towards the house, and several surrounding the Tucson.

"Cover that street." Shane titled his head down the road to their left before he looked to their right. "I'll clear the car." They walked towards the Tucson while Shane started shooting. Landing head shots on every Walker that was surrounding the vehicle.

Andrea aimed at a Walker down the road behind them that was slowly coming their way. She pulled the trigger, hitting it in the chest. It kept coming. She aimed again, sending another bullet just a few inches above where the last one had hit. Shane watched her, his gun on the Walker, too, before he turned around to watch behind them. Andrea aimed again and pulled the trigger.

**Click**

"Oh, shit." Andrea said as she looked at the gun.

Shane turned around, seeing her pulling at the slide. He aimed at the Walker, only several feet from them now, hitting it in the head and sending it to the ground. He looked around them, aiming his gun at the nearest Walkers, coming towards them. He looked over his shoulder at Andrea. "Focus now. Clear the jam. Focus."

Andrea ejected the clip from the gun and pulled the slide. Sending the bullet that was causing the jam out of the ejection port. Another Walker was now feet from her as she put the clip back in the Beretta and pulled the slide. She was taking quick breaths as she looked from the Walker to Shane, who lowered his gun. "Are you kidding me?" She shouted at him.

"Come on, I've got your back. Now go." He said, tilting his head at the Walker that was still coming closer to her. _Heat of the moment. _If there was ever a time where adrenaline was going to give her a marksman's aim, it was going to be now.

She aimed at the Walker as it took a couple more steps towards her, and pulled the trigger. She almost couldn't believe it when it fell to the ground in front of her, the bullet ripping through it's skull. She took a couple quick breaths and stepped forward, aiming at the next Walker and quickly dropping it. She aimed againm at the next. _Down._ She pulled the trigger again, and another fell to the ground.

"Andrea, Andrea, let's go." Shane said as he started for the car. "Come on." He said as she looked at him and followed.

He stepped behind the open driver's door as Andrea stopped in front of the car and turned around. "Andrea, come on." He said as he started to get inside.

Andrea raised her gun at the group of Walkers coming towards them and pulled the trigger.

* * *

**The Farm**

Lori was sitting at the small table in the Grimes' tent, rubbing her temples when she saw Glenn walking towards her from outside. He had a small paper bag in his hand, something he'd picked up on his own. Lori glanced down at it when he stopped outside the door. "The blood on Maggie's shirt-" She started.

"She was attacked." Glenn said as he looked in at her.

"Are you guys all right? How bad was it?"

Glenn ducked in through the open door of the tent and walked inside. "It was pretty close."

"I'm so sorry." Lori shook her head. "I should never have asked you to go."

"I offered."

"I thought the town was safe, but-but if you hadn't' come back-"

"But we did. I always do." Glenn smiled.

Lori covered her mouth with the side of her hand as she smiled up at him. She looked back down at the bag in his hands as he messed with the wrinkled paper

"The morning after pills- will they even work?" He asked.

Lori picked up the 3 packs of the pills she had laying on the table in front of her. "I don't know." She shook her head as she looked at them. "I don't know if I want em to."

"Then, uh, I got these, too, just in case." Glenn set the bag on the table.

Lori looked up at him as she set the pill packets down and reached for the bag. She opened it up, pulling the bottle inside out and read the label. "Prenatal vitamins." She smiled. "That's a hell of a choice."

Glenn nodded as she looked at the bottle. "I'm glad it's not mine." He said as Lori put the bottle next to the pills and looked between the two. Glenn glanced out of the tent, making sure Rick was still on watch with T-Dog. "Lori..we're, uh, we're friends, aren't we?" He asked when he turned back to her.

Lori looked around for a second as if it were obvious. "With everything we've been through, yeah." She laughed a little.

"I can't tell you what to do." Glenn raised his brows at her. "I..could never tell you something like that...But your..choice- maybe you shouldn't make it alone." He nodded at her.

She looked past him at the wall of the tent as he turned and ducked out of the door. She looked back at the table, her eyes flicking back and forth.

* * *

Andrea was looking out the passenger window of the car with a smug look on her face as Shane sped down the road, back towards the Greene's farm. She could almost still **feel** the adrenaline rushing through her. She didn't think she'd felt this proud of herself in years. Between the adrenaline and giddiness, it was almost a turn on. She looked over at Shane, her eyes traveling down his stomach and landing on his groin before she looked up at his face again. His eyes were on the road ahead of them as he drove. He glanced in the rear view mirror, out of habit, before watching ahead of them again.

_What the hell?_ Andrea thought as she turned her head to the front of the car and reached over, placing her hand right between his legs. She squeezed and rubbed at the bulge her hand was on, biting her bottom lip. Shane looked over at her, licking his lips as she faced him again. He stepped on the brake, slowing the car down. Andrea rubbed at him again, feeling him harden under her palm.

Shane put his hands behind his head and glanced down at himself, Andrea still working at him. "Come on, then." He said as he smirked at her, bringing the car to a complete stop and putting it in park. Andrea leaned over as Shane grabbed her hair. "Get over here. Get over here." He said as he pulled her onto his lap.

She locked her hands around the back of his neck as they started kissing, Shane lifting her shirt up over her breasts to pull her bra down as she grinded herself against him. Andrea leaned back against the steering wheel as he kissed down her neck, the motion causing the horn to honk. She giggled as she sat up straight again and reached for his belt.

* * *

Lori sat in the same place Glenn had left her. She had her hands on the back of her neck as she cried, going through the pros and cons of keeping the baby. Right now, the cons list was winning. By a long shot. She glanced at the table, looking at the prenatal vitamins before her eyes fell on the morning-after pill packets. She picked the 3 packets up and looked at them. She pulled the packets out of the cardboard box they were in and punched the pills out of their casings, of all three packets, giving herself 6 pills. She fiddled with them in her hand for a second before popping all 6 into her mouth and grabbing her bottled water, washing them down.

She sat there and squeezed the empty packet in her hand as tears fell down her cheeks. She bent over and sobbed before she sat up straight again. _No._ She put the water bottle and empty packets down on the table and ran out of the tent.

Lori ran from their camp, to the edge of the fence, surrounded by several trees as she knelt down on the ground, holding herself up with her hands. She stuck two fingers in her mouth and down her throat. With a gag, she expelled the only things that were in her stomach. The pills, and the water she'd swallowed them with. She took her hand and wiped at her mouth, before she spread the pills out on the ground, counting to make sure they were all there. _6. _She sat back up on her knees while she took deep breaths.

* * *

A little over an hour later, the light green Tucson came barreling down the Greene's dirt driveway and skid to a stop next to Carol's Cherokee. Shane couldn't help himself. He was feeling a little revived. Andrea smiled and shook her head at him as she reached for the door to let herself out. Carol stepped out of the RV as she watched the two get out of their vehicle. Dale walked up to the swing in front of Carol's car while Shane and Andrea walked towards them.

"Anything?" Carol asked from her spot next to Dale.

Shane shook his head at her, "Not today." He said as she took a few more steps towards Andrea.

"I'm so sorry." Andrea said as she looked at Carol. "We'll cover more ground tomorrow." She nodded.

Dale looked between Andrea and Shane. They both looked a little too smug for his liking. Andrea was practically glowing as Shane rested his hands on his hips. "What happened out there?" Dale asked.

"Um, I-" Andrea stammered, adjusting the strap of the bag she had on her shoulder.

"The place was overrun." Shane said with raised eyebrows, answering Dale's question before he looked at Andrea with the slightest smirk.

"Yeah." Andrea smiled as she sighed.

"Let's go get ya cleaned up." Carol said as she put her hand on Andrea's shoulder and started walking the woman to the RV, she looked like she'd been sweating. She had no idea..

But Dale, Dale knew something had went on between them. They were both acting strange, and it had nothing to do with the Walkers.

Shane watched Andrea walk away before he caught Dale looking at him. Shane took his hands off his hips and started walking into camp, bringing his hand up to his mouth and making a fist. He laughed a bit before he let his hand fall back to his side.

Dale started walking after him. "Shane..Shane." Dale said as he came up behind him.

"Hmm?" Shane turned around.

"I was thinkin, you got that nice new ride of yours, plenty of fuel, more than enough for you to get **far** from here."

"What, you tellin me to leave?"

"I know you've been plannin to. Maybe now is a good time." Dale said.

Shane laughed as he looked away. "Is this about Andrea?" Shane smiled as he looked back at him.

Dale stared at him for a second. "I'm lookin out for the group."

"You think the group would be better off without me, Dale? Why don't you tell that to Rick or Lori? Their boy would be dead if I hadn't put my ass on the line." Shane said as he looked down him.

"And Otis's." Dale corrected him. Shane just looked at him before he turned to walk away. "You've been vague about that night, about what happened." Dale said and followed.

Shane turned around after he'd taken a few steps, but kept his eyes to the ground. "Otis died a hero." He said, finding the dirt in front of him easier to look at.

"So you've said."

"A little boy lived because of what went down that night. I think you ought to show some gratitude." Shane said as he turned to face Dale.

"I wasn't there." Dale shook his head.

"No, man, you weren't." Shane raised his eyebrows.

"But I was the time that you raised your gun on Rick." Dale thought back to the day after their camp outside of Atlanta was overrun, when he'd come to get Rick and Shane from their perimeter walk. It was barely two weeks ago but it felt so much longer. The days just blurred together, anymore.

"Come on, Jesus." Shane whispered.

"You had him in your sights and you held him there." Dale said as Shane ran a hand over his head and sighed before he looked at the ground again. "I know what kind of man you are." Dale looked him up and down.

Shane kept his head down, but brought his eyes back to Dale's face, making him look more menacing than Dale had ever seen him. He slightly shook his head. "You think I'd shoot Rick?" Shane whispered as he brought his head back up. He stepped closer to Dale. "That is my best friend. That's the man that I love. I love him like he's my brother. You think that's the kinda man I am?" Shane nodded, his face only inches from Dale's.

"That's right." Dale nodded, a slight smile on his face. He knew Shane was trying to intimidate him.

"Well, maybe we oughtta just think that through..Say I'm the kinda man who'd gun down his own best friend." Shane said in a low voice, looking Dale right in the eyes. "Whatcha think I'd do to some guy that I don't even **like** when he starts throwin accusations my way? Whatcha think?" Shane got closer to him, scanning his face. Dale's eyes widened before Shane backed away from him and started walking to his tent, throwing a scoff over his shoulder.

* * *

Shane and Glenn had taken over Rick and T-Dog's place on watch, so the former Sheriff was on his way to the Grimes' tent as the sun was setting. He ducked inside, not seeing Lori or Carl. He walked further in and stood next to the table as he unbuckled his holster and set it on the chair that was in front of it. As he set the holster on the chair he looked at the packets that were laying, opened and empty, on the table. He knelt down next to it as he picked up one of the packets, reading the label.

**Morning After Pill  
****Emergency Contraception**

Rick picked up one of the other packets and read the label, almost thinking he was seeing it wrong. He looked down at the ground as it all hit him.

After he'd pulled himself together he walked out of the tent, looking out over the land before seeing her figure off in the distance, in between the fences that were on either side of the Greene's private, dirt drive way.

Lori was sitting in the grass looking out over the field with a couple dandelions in her hands as Rick made his way out the gate and walked over to her. She could hear the footsteps on the hard dirt coming from behind her and stood up. She turned towards him though he was still a few feet away. She sniffled as she stood and stared at his face. They were silent as they looked at each other. Rick was the first to break it.

"Is there somethin you need to tell me?" He took a few steps towards her.

"We can't leave. I'm pregnant." She said.

Rick held up the empty pill packs he had in his hand. "Are you?" He asked, walking closer.

"I threw em up."

Rick turned around and walked a few steps, throwing his arms out to his sides in frustration. He took a deep breath and looked back at her.

"You can yell if you want." She said as she watched him. "You can scream if you have to..but talk to me." Lori almost pleaded with him. This was the problem they were having before in their marriage. He would always take things so coolly, things she knew bothered him. He never talked about it and always played things off like everything was fine.

Rick walked up to her, leaving only a foot between them as he looked at her face. He lowered his voice. "How long have you known?"

"Does it matter?" Lori asked as he looked away.

"Days? Weeks? And you didn't tell me." He said as he looked at her face again.

"I'm tellin you now."

"No." Rick raised his voice. He turned away from her, taking a step back before looking at her again. She hadn't come and told him by herself, he caught her in a lie. He held up the packets. "I found **these**. S-So-So Glenn knows, right?" He nodded at her. "Instead of comin to me, y-you-you-you sent him to get **pills**?"

"I panicked." Lori said, looking at the ground around them as she tried to explain herself. "I-I-Y-You tell me we have no roof and no walls-"

"Oh, do **not** put this on me!" Rick yelled. Lori took a step back from him. It had been the first time he ever raised his voice at her. "You tear into me for keepin secrets when you're- when you're holdin onto **this**?" He swung his arm that held that pill packets out to his side.

"You want me to bring a **baby** into **this**?" Lori yelled. "To live a short, cruel life?"

Rick brought his hands to his temples in frustration. "How can you think like that?!"

Lori held her arm out in the direction of camp, where Carl was playing with Sam and Kaleb. "We can't protect the son we already have."

"So this is the solution?" Rick said, throwing the packs on the ground as he took a few steps back from her.

"Rick, I threw them up." She said each word slowly as he paced in front of her. "I screwed up..I don't know how we do this." She said as she started to sob. She turned and walked to the fence as Rick rubbed at his eyes. He put his hands on his hips as Lori put her hands on the wiring between the fence posts.

Rick took a couple breaths before he turned his face towards her. "We can make it work."

"How? Tell me..how." She said as she looked at him. He stepped closer to her.

"We'll figure it out. Shouldn't we **try** to figure it out? You threw-you threw up the pills." He said as he stepped even closer. She stifled a sob as she looked away from him and out onto the field. "You want this baby. I know you do."

"Not like this." She said as she looked at him. "Not givin birth in a ditch. Not-not when its life will hang by a thread from the second it's born." She shook her head and looked back in the direction of camp. "Not when every cry will-will put it, an-and Carl, and everyone we care about, into danger. That's not right."

Rick wiped at his eyes. "Not givin it a chance isn't right either."

Lori brought her hand to her forehead as she leaned off the fence. "Maybe this is why I didn't wanna tell you."

"I still- I still don't understand why...You-you really think I'd make you have a baby you don't want?"

"No, no, so-so that if I went through with it, it would be on my conscience and not yours." Lori shook her head.

"Maybe that's true, but...**I** can't live like this anymore, Lori...We can't live like this...Is there anything else..I should know about?"

Lori looked at him for a few seconds before looking at his shoulder. She couldn't look him in the eyes and tell him. "Shane and I." She said, catching his eyes after she'd spoken.

Rick just nodded. He shifted his weight to his other foot as he looked back at camp before turning back to her and looking at the ground. "I know. Of course I know." He said quietly. Lori just looked at him as he turned and faced the field. He rested his arms over the fence. He stayed quiet for a few seconds before he spoke again. "You thought I was dead." He looked at her. "The world went to shit and you thought I was dead..Right?"

Lori nodded her head as she tried to suppress another sob. "Yeah."

Rick looked down at the wiring that was holding the fence posts together and out at the field before he nodded his head again, turning back to her. He had another secret he was holding onto, but he wasn't going to tell just yet.


End file.
